Requirements for the integration of equal access for all users
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) defines ‘premises’ as the whole of the built environment and includes existing buildings, new or proposed buildings, transport systems, car parks, pathways, and public parks and gardens.
Note: Consult an access consultant accredited by the Association of Consultants in Access Australia (ACAA).
Embellishments must be designed in accordance with AS 1428 Design for access and mobility.
Vegetation near pathways must provide a clear, unimpeded passage for pedestrians.
No plants are to overhang any pathway below a 2.4 m clear height envelope as they may provide a hazard for tall or vision impaired persons.
Vegetation must be at a minimum 500 mm offset from the edge of a strip pathway to provide safe clearance for pedestrians and cyclists.
Hedging beside pathway is NOT acceptable due to high maintenance requirements
At maturity, no spiky plants are to be located in the first 500 mm of garden beds (from a strip pathway edge) as they may present a hazard for guide animals for the blind and pathway users.
Planting lomandra in ‘no plant zone’ is NOT acceptable. It will require trimming and create potential hazards for pathway users. It is a ‘spikey’ plant.
Design a zone for planting and street furniture close to the road edge. Include a minimum 500 mm clear car door opening area closest to on street parking. This allows white cane users to shoreline along shop frontages and to find shop door openings.
A clear pedestrian zone allows for people who are vision impaired and people who use mobility devices.
Ensure equal access car parking spaces are located as close as possible to amenities with a clearly defined continuous accessible path of travel from car parking spaces, through planting beds to facilities.
Ensure that there are an adequate number of seats with shade planting installed along road reserves to provide children, injured and older people with rest opportunities.
Avoid finished height difference between a concrete slab and adjoining surfaces to prevent trip hazards and to prevent ‘tramlining’ of pram, bicycle and wheelchair wheels.
See the following Figure 4: Elevation – planting beside a pathway.
Plant light coloured foliage against dark backdrops so that the plants stand out clearly for people with low vision.
Consider when selecting flowering plants that people with sight loss can see yellow, white and blue flowers for longer than other colours.
Avoid planting plants and trees which cause hazards on hard surfaced paths of travel such as:
dropped berries or flowers which may become slippery when wet.
dropped pine cones or fronds which may cause a vision impaired person to trip or fall.
Clean up of plant debris adds to ongoing maintenance cost.
Consider scented planting to highlight an area or an embellishment of interest along a pathway. This type of sensory stimuli can assist a vision impaired person to identify and remember a site.
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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.
