Introduction

Glossary

Glossary of terms in the LIM

Authorised persons

Arborist: an individual who specialisies in the cultivation and care of trees and shrubs, including the diagnosis, treatment, tree surgery, and the prevention of tree diseases, and the control/prevention of pests.

Development Assessment Officer: a DA officer role usually consists of the following: 

• approval of sustainable development on the Sunshine Coast.
• development assessment of planning, engineering construction, environment, landscape, plumbing and building applications.
• audits of development and estates to ensure compliance with legislative requirements and conditions of approval.
• management of appeals for development applications through to finalisation on behalf of Legal Services.
• delivery of assets into the public domain.
• reporting of development indicators and statistics to the development industry and State Government.

Ecologist: an individual who studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment. 

Environmental Compliance Officer: an individual who obtains and administers environmental permits, ensures environmental regulatory compliance for federal, state and local requirements and tracks environmental laws. 

Horticulturist: a Horticultural role usually consists of the following:

• working in the field of landscape design to create parks, gardens and recreational areas, with concern for conservation and preservation of natural resources.
• conduct experiments and investigations into cultivation, pest and disease control, production, storage, processing and transport of fruit, nuts, berries, vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Landscape Architect: refers to an individual who has formal educational qualifications in the design and project management of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioral and or aesthetic outcomes.

Landscape Contractor: a professional that involves landscape and garden project planning, construction, management, and maintenance.

Suitably Qualified Engineer/Professional Engineer: refers to individuals who have formal educational qualifications in civil, mechanical, structural or electrical engineering and are registered under the Professional Engineers Act 2002 QLD (RPEQ).

Superintendent: for the purposes of continuity and clarity, the term superintendent refers to person supervising the Open Space project, e.g. construction superintendent.

Equal Access

Access: refers to vehicular access including but not limited to:

• Emergency services vehicles 
• Construction, maintenance and regulatory vehicles
• Recreational and commuter vehicles.

Accredited Access Consultant: an access consultant with accreditation and qualifications by ACAA (Association of Consultants in Access Australia) LIM sections have been reviewed by an accredited access consultant.

All abilities play space (AAPS): a place which is designed primarily for equal access children’s play.

‘At grade area’: refers to an area both sides of a path which is required to continue at the same grade as the path.

Construction tolerance: the allowable deviation of levelness of a constructed continuous path of travel. 

Continuous accessible path of travel: is an uninterrupted path of travel to, into or within an embellishment, providing equal access to all facilities.

Disability: an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.

Equal access (also called Universal Access and Inclusive Access): refers to access which enables the inclusion of a broad spectrum of people including but not limited to: 

• people who use wheelchairs and mobility devices
• people with vision or hearing impairment
• people with a psychiatric or intellectual disability
• small statured people and children
• older people and injured people
• all others.

Equal access signage: raised braille and tactile signage on a continuous accessible path of travel.

Hazard: refers to a danger to a person with vision impairment, such as walking from a kerb ramp onto a road. The road is the hazard.

Special use car park: refers to a car park space solely for use by persons who possess an Australian Disability Parking Permit.

Wheelchair reach: the average distance a person who uses a wheelchair is able to reach to the side, to the front or over an obstacle.

Miscellaneous

AHD: Australian Height Datum.A geodetic datum for altitude measurement in Australia. Adopted by the National Mapping Council as the datum to which all vertical control for mapping, and other surveying functions is to be referred.

Austroads: a publication which provides guidance for designers and planners. Membership comprises Department of Main Roads Qld. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

After fabrication: following the building of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling.

Banana bars: yellow painted metal cyclist slow down devices (terminal treatment), the installation of which is no longer supported by Qld Transport and Main Roads.

Building Code of Australia: the set of technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings and other structures, produced and maintained by the Australian Building Codes board (ABCB) on behalf of the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments.

Co-locate: install suitable embellishments in groups.

Community hub: a space where communities gather and meet, supported by a range of compatible land uses including residential, retail, commercial (economic/employment), open space, social infrastructure, education, transport, essential services and technology uses. 

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) – Guidelines Queensland: seek to encourage local councils to incorporate the principles of CPTED to design safer public places.

Embellishments: anything installed in open spaces for use by, or for the enjoyment of the public.

Environmental Management Plan (EMP): a site specific plan developed to ensure all necessary measures are identified and implemented to protect the environment and comply with environmental legislation

EPDM: Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (M-class rubber). Fire retardant difficult to burn.

Footprint: the bounds of a play space or exercise equipment area.

Grade 316 stainless steel: has virtually the same mechanical, physical and fabrication characteristics as 304 grades, but with better corrosion resistance.

Handrail: a rail fixed to posts or a wall for people to hold onto for support and or to provide protection against heights. Required on:

• any ramp and landing
• on a raised boardwalk where a potential fall risk exists
• on a path adjacent a potential fall injury risk
• on a path where a designer deems there is a potential fall risk.

HAT (highest astronomical tide) and LAT (lowest astronomical tide): these are the highest and lowest water level which can be predicted to occur under average meteorological conditions and any combination of astronomical conditions. HAT and LAT are not the extreme levels which can be reached, as storm surges may cause considerably higher or lower levels to occur.

Kerb or kerb rail: required on any raised boardwalk or ramp.

King tide: colloquial Australian term used to describe an especially high tide event occurring twice a year. King tides are simply the highest tides that occur at each place, however in abnormal weather conditions (e.g. cyclones, severe storms or floods) water levels can be elevated above the expected height. King tide is not a scientific term, nor is it used in a scientific context.

Landing: a place of rest on a path of travel.

LIM category: Open Space Landscape Infrastructure Manual (LIM) is broken up into different embellishment sections such as: Bins, Landscape drainage or Sports facilities etc.

‘Local materials and products’: materials and products which occur or are supplied within the Sunshine Coast region.

Long run: refers to an electrical wiring setup which contains a long distance between the electrical appliance and the electrical source.

Luminance contrast: the light reflected from one surface or component, compared to the light reflected from another surface or component.

Luminance factor: the ratio of luminance of a surface to that of a perfect reflector, identically illuminated. 

MagnaLatch (or equivalent): a safety gate latch system for securing gates around play spaces.

MLAK (Master Locksmith Access Key): enables people with a disability to access public facilities.

Monoculture planting: growing only one type of plant.

Newton (N): the symbol for a derived unit of force, named after Sir Isaac Newton.

Parkour (PK): a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle training.

Play space: a place which is designed primarily for children’s play, including playgrounds.

Plastic filament: filament refers to the plastic diameter that forms an artificial wire.

Positioning: refers to the way an embellishment is arranged in relation to open spaces.

Premises: as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act extends to the whole of the built environment and includes: 

• car parks 
• sports venues 
• pathways
• public gardens
• public parks
• public toilets.

Premises standards: Disability standards made under the provisions of the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act).

PTT: Paths, Tracks, and Trails as defined in AS 2156.1 

• Paths (class 1 and 2) Council Parks and Open Spaces
• Trails (class 3 and 4) Council Parks and Open Spaces
• Tracks (class 5 and 6) State Government National Parks.

Ramp: an inclined surface on a continuous accessible path of travel between two landings with a gradient steeper than 1:20 but not steeper than 1:14.

SCC: Sunshine Coast Council

Shall: Indicates that a requirement is mandatory

Should: Indicates a recommendation

Sustainable: conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources

Stairways: construct as per AS 1657 and AS 1428.1 and 2 including:

• stair nosing luminance contrast strip
• TGSI to top and bottom of stairs
• handrails both sides and set back so that handrail does not protrude into the path of travel.

Step ramp: an inclined surface on a continuous accessible path of travel with a maximum rise of 190 mm, maximum length of 1900 mm and a maximum gradient of 1:10.

Storm surge: a localised, abnormal rise of water level generated by a significant meteorological event (e.g. tropical cyclone) over and above the predicted tide level. In some situations, when winds blow offshore, sea level can fall lower than the predicted tide level

Tactile ground surface indicators (TGSI): truncated cones and or bars installed on ground to provide persons with vision impairment with warning or direction information.

Terminal: treatment a treatment designed to restrict unauthorised vehicles from entering a path.

Threshold ramp: an inclined surface on a continuous accessible path of travel with a maximum rise of 35mm, length no greater than 280 mm and a gradient no steeper than 1:8.

Turbidity: a measure of the optical clarity of water. Commonly measured in terms of Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). High turbidity is caused by a high concentration of very fine soil particles and dissolved particles that do not settle out readily.

UV protection: a shade protection device such as a shade tree, shelter or shade sail to protect people from the danger of solar radiation. Bureau of meteorology recommended sun protection times for the Sunshine Coast are 8.40am to 2.50pm local time.

Walkway: any surface on a continuous path of travel with a gradient no steeper than 1:20.

Watermark: Australian Building Code Board (ABCB) mandatory certification scheme for plumbing and drainage products to ensure that products and materials are fit for purpose and appropriately authorised for use in plumbing installations.

WELS: Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme is Australia’s water efficiency labelling scheme that requires certain products to be registered and labelled according to their water efficiency.

Queensland Development Code: The Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s Queensland specific building standards which cover matters outside of, and in addition to the Building Code of Australia.