National Developments

Throughout Australia there is a recognised shortage of parking bays provided for people with disabilities and the number of people who use this parking is increasing steadily.

The Building Code of Australia sets down the minimum ratio of parking bays that must be provided for people with disabilities. A ratio of 1% of the total number of parking bays in a carpark with more than 10 spaces was set in 1988.

It was in 1988 that the Building Code also gave people with disabilities a right to access in their communities, including parking. This legislation has meant that the number of accessible buildings, facilities and carparks has increased and people who need a higher level of access are able to participate in their communities more.

Whilst increased participation in the community is highly desirable, it has placed pressure on the number of parking bays provided for people with disabilities.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) review of the ratio of parking bays found that whilst 1% of parking is provided, the people who use it now represent 3% of the population. The difficulty now is how finding a way to implement an increase that will be affective for people with disabilities.

The new draft of the Australian Standards (AS1428.1) recommends that the current parking bay allocation increases from 1% to 2%. It is hoped that this standard will be available soon.