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Skate parks

Standards

Compliance requirements for embellishments

Note: 

  • 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.

Legislation

Refer Legislation for guidance.

Australian Standards/industry guidelines

National Construction Code (NCC)

The embellishment shall be developed in accordance with the NCC (current edition):

  • Building Code of Australia (BCA) Volumes 1 and 2
  • Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) Volume 3.

Safety in design (SiD)

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.

Skate parks

  • AS EN 14974:2021 Skateparks – safety requirements and test methods. Specifies safety requirements and requirements for testing and marking, information supplied by the manufacturer, information for users, as well as for inspection and maintenance to protect users and third parties (e.g. spectators) from hazards, as far as possible, when using a skatepark as intended, or as can be reasonably expected.
  • AS 1170.1:2002 – Structural design actions –  Permanent, imposed and other actions. For permanent, imposed, static liquid pressure, ground water, rainwater ponding and earth pressure actions to be used in the limit state design of structures and parts of structures
  • AS 1170.2:2011 – Structural design actions – Wind actions. Procedures for determining wind speeds and actions to be used in the design of structures.
  • AS 1170.4:2007 – Structural design actions –  Earthquake actions in Australia. Procedures for determining earthquake actions and detailing requirements for structures and components to be used in the design of structures.
  • AS 1379:2007 – Specification and supply of concrete. Sets out minimum requirements for materials, plant and equipment used in the supply of concrete and the testing of concrete.
  • AS 3600:2009 – Concrete structures. Provides nationally accepted rules for the design and detailing of concrete structures,  members and footings.
  • AS/NZ 3661.2:1994 – Slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces – Guide to the reduction of slip hazards. Guidance on the selection, installation, care and maintenance of flooring and other surfaces in domestic, public and commercial areas for the purpose of reducing the slip hazard to pedestrians, including people with disabilities.
  • AS 4586:2013 – Slip resistance classifications of new pedestrian surface materials. Testing of new products and floors. This Standard is referenced in legislation.

Taps and drinking fountains

See the following for further guidance:

Designing for shade

  • Creating Shade at Public Facilities: Policy and Guidelines for Local Government Edition 2 - prepared by Australian Institute of Environmental Health. Technical resource containing guidelines about ‘essential’ and ‘preferred’ quantities of shade at public facilities.

Designing for access and inclusion

  • 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.

Designing for safety (CPTED)

  • 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.

Erosion and sediment control

Trees

  • 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.

Approvals/authorised person

Assessable development

  • Where a sports and games facility is deemed ‘assessable development’ it requires building approval from a private building certifier and must meet all of the requirements of the Building Regulation 2006, the Building Code of Australia (current edition) and the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014.
    • Building Code of Australia (BCA) Volumes 1 and 2 are a uniform set of technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings and other structures throughout Australia. 

Skate park design

  • Skate parks must be designed by an experienced professional skate park designer in consultation with users and certified by a suitably qualified engineer.
  • All elements including footing design is to be designed by a suitably qualified engineer.

QBCC licensed builder

  • In Queensland, individuals and companies must hold a Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) license to carry out:
    • Any building work valued over the QBCC amount (includes all labour and material costs regardless of who supplies the materials).

Signage 

  • All ‘activity entry’ signs and ‘regulatory’ signs appropriate for skate parks must refer to LIM Signage suite for guidance, technical drawings and graphic design templates.

Taps and drinking fountains

  • All plumbing is regulated by council under state government legislation requirements.

See the following for further guidance:

Coastal management district

  • 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.

Other

  • 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 additional requirements

Corporate documents

Corporate liaison

Developer delivered assets

  • 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. 
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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.

https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au[email protected]07 5475 7272

Sunshine Coast Open Space Landscape Infrastructure Manual (LIM)

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© LIM 2024 – 2026

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Version 0.0.38.beta

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Last Updated: 01/04/2026 12:27 AM

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