Where Australian Standards or part thereof have been adopted by legislation, they are a legal requirement.
This list may not be exhaustive. Please refer to the relevant authority websites for updated information and current document distribution dates. These documents are subject to amendments from time to time.
To install fences and gates, apply the overarching and specific standards and guidelines for the intended use.
Design for the highest order of needs at each site.
Design for site specific physical features.
Analyse risks associated with fence application to determine barrier requirements.
Refer to the full standard or guideline for a complete list of requirements.
Note: Standard residential pool fencing, or any other residential fencing, is NOT to be used for any council facility. Designers must select heavy duty fence materials.
Note: If the fence type selected, is intended for purposes other than originally specified, it MUST BE ENGINEERED TO SUIT the individual application/site requirements.
Include Safety in Design (SiD) principles to eliminate, or if not reasonably practical, minimise risks to health and safety throughout the design, construction and life of the embellishment.
See Legislation – Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for additional safety guidance.
AS 1428.1:2009 Design for access and mobility Part 1: General requirements for access – New building work. Handrail and gate design.
Barrier offset
Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 6A: Paths for walking and cycling. Lateral clearance of 0.5 m (absolute minimum) is required between a path and any obstacle.
Paths, trails and tracks and safety barrier guidance
AS 2156.1:2001 – Walking Tracks Part 1 – Classification and signage. Provides managing authorities with guidance for walking track classification (class one to five to a track, dependant upon track attributes) and signage in order to provide consistency of information to users of paths, trails and tracks.
AS 2156.2:2001 – Walking Tracks Part 2 – Infrastructure design (withdrawn). Provides guidance for Barrier design to protect against falls such as at an embankment, waterbody, drainage infrastructure. Also provides guidance for the design of walking track signage, depending upon classification.
AS/NZS 1604.1:2021 - Preservative-treated wood based products. Specifies timber treatment.
Steel
AS 2837:1986 – Wrought alloy steels – Stainless steel bars and semi-finished products (withdrawn). Requirements for wrought stainless steel for engineering purposes supplied as hot rolled and cold finished.
AS/NZS 4680:2025 - Hot dip galvanised coatings on fabricated iron and steel articles - Specifications and test methods. Requirements and tests for hot-dip zinc coatings (galvanised steel).
AS 1725.1:2010 - Chain link fabric fencing, Part 1: Security fences and gates - General requirements. Design of chain wire fences.
Aluminium
AS/NZS 1866:1997 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Extruded rod, bar, solid and hollow shapes. Specifies requirements for aluminium and aluminium alloy extruded rod, bar, solid and hollow products for general engineering purposes.
AS 3715:2025 – Metal finishing –Thermostat powder coating for architectural applications for aluminium and aluminium alloys. Specifies requirements for powder coating architectural aluminium.
AS 1428 (Set) – Design for access and mobility. Design requirements for new building work to provide access for people with disabilities. This Standard is referenced in legislation.
Queensland Government – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) – Guidelines for Queensland, 2021. Provides guidelines about designing a safe environment to assist in the prevention of the opportunity for crime.
AS 4970:2025 – Protection of trees on development sites. Provides guidance on the principles for protecting trees on land subject to development.
AS 2303:2018 – Tree stock for landscape use. Specifies the criteria for the assessment of above-ground and below-ground characteristics of tree stock that are to be supplied for landscape use.
AS 4373:2007 – Pruning of amenity trees. Specifies methods for pruning trees and gives guidance on correct and uniform practices.
Where a fence is deemed ‘assessable development’ it requires building approval from a private building certifier and must meet all of the requirements of the Building Regulation 2021, the Building Code of Australia (current edition) and the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014:
Building approval is required for any fence that is higher than 2.0 m above the natural ground level. This may include a combined retaining wall and fence.
Ensure appropriate environmental approvals are obtained and the conditions observed where any building work is proposed in the Coastal Management District.
Consult with Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP) – State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) for application forms, guidelines and information sheets.
Ensure all relevant approvals are obtained from the appropriate governing bodies and all conditions are observed.
Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) approval is required for works near state controlled roads. This applies to any part of the road reserve including pathways, kerb and channelling, nature strip and traffic island.
Council (Development Services) – all works associated with any development application.
Council delivered assets
Council (Parks and Gardens) – recreation parks, amenity reserves, linear parks, landscape corridors, sports grounds and recreation trails enquiries relating to asset management, business planning and direction.
Council (Environmental Operations) – recreation trails, foreshore infrastructure, environment reserves, constructed waterbodies and wetlands.
Council (Design and Placemaking Services) – recreation parks, amenity reserves, linear parks, landscape corridors, sports grounds, specific purpose (sports), recreation trails and streetscape/centres enquiries relating to design.
Council (Sport and Community Venues) – sports ground planning and asset management.
Council (Transport Network Management) – technical and design solutions to facilitate ongoing management and safe operations of road and assets. Water management and drainage solutions. Plus street lighting and electrical infrastructure.
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Sunshine Coast Open Space Landscape Infrastructure Manual (LIM) DISCLAIMER
Disclaimer
Information contained in this document may change without notice and you should use the current material available from Council’s website and not rely on material previously printed or stored by you.
All figures and diagrams are intended to be used as an aid to design and include Council’s preferred elements but they are not intended to be prescriptive and may need to be varied as dictated by site specific factors. While Council has exercised reasonable care in preparing this document, it does not warrant or represent that it is accurate or complete. The Council will not accept responsibility for any loss, damage, cost or expense that you may incur as a result of the use of or reliance upon any material contained in this document.
This document is produced to convey general information and is not intended to constitute advice whether professional or legal. Any reference to legislation in this document is not an interpretation of the law. It is to be used as a guide only. Consult relevant authority websites for current documents, revisions and amendments.
Where a particular product or supplier is profiled in this document, Council is NOT nominating this product or supplier as the selected choice. Product/supplier information has been provided to allow users to source products which contain the correct elements required for Council embellishments. Each product profiled states ‘or equivalent’ which means that different products may be supplied provided they satisfy the identified performance criteria, recommended standards, equal access guidance and product specifications.
Product design, manufacture and installation requires appropriately qualified people to provide site specific solutions to ensure the embellishment is appropriately adapted to local conditions and data.
This document does not override requirements stipulated in a development approval. Project specific variations may be appropriate as a result of site, environmental or other constraints. Any variations to these standards must be approved in writing by council prior to commencement of variation works. Components of this document may be used within a contract document but users should undertake their own investigations to confirm the information is suitable for this purpose.
Drawings contained in this document are NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION.
Details in this document are deemed to be the minimum standard and the user may wish to apply a higher standard subject to approval by council.
Acknowledgements
Council wishes to thank all contributors and stakeholders involved in the development of this document.
Copyright
Sunshine Coast Regional Council (Council) supports and encourages the distribution of its material however, copyright protects this document. Council has no objection to this material being reproduced but only if council is recognised as the owner of the copyright and this material remains unaltered.
