Question: Can I apply to the owners corporation for approval to install an automatic bollard in my disability parking space?
I was unaware when I purchased my apartment in North Sydney that it has a disability parking space. I don’t own a vehicle because I don’t drive. Other owner’s visitors or tradespeople always use the space.
Their cars block my garage door, and my visitors can never find anywhere to park. Can I apply to the owners corporation for approval to install an automatic bollard parking remote control in my parking space? Will the decision be impacted by my car space being a disability parking space?
Answer: Apply to the owners corporation for bollard installation and the committee will advise the process.
Yes. There are Australian Standards applicable to bollard installation within disability car spaces. Apply to the owners corporation for bollard installation, and the strata committee (or the strata managing agent) will advise the process thereafter. You may need a by-law, or it might be a minor renovation depending on the by-laws applicable to your scheme.
This post appears in the May 2025 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Leanne Habib
Premium Strata
E: info@premiumstrata.com.au
P: 02 9281 6440
We purchased a unit. However, there is a disabled sign drawn in the parking lot.
The contract indicates that the parking space is our parking space. (This is not a public disabled parking space.) The disabled person’s mark and unit number are written on the parking space.
Since we are not disabled and it is legally our parking space, is it okay if we remove this disabled mark?
Hi Ryan
We refer you to the Q&A in the article above: Question: We purchased an Off-the-plan apartment and at the prepurchase inspection found our parking spot is the disabled parking space. Can they do this?
Our SC has proposed to use a designated disabled parking space to store 12 waste bins while work is being carried out in the garbage room where the bins are normally stored. Our DA requires that we have one designated disabled parking space available for visitors. Is this illegal? I would have thought that a disabled parking space could only be used for the purpose of disabled parking?
The owner of the cafe on the ground floor is privately renting the only disabled car space in our underground car park to a man who is storing his vintage car in the space. Is this legal?
Hi Gemma
Edward Baker from Responsive Strata Management has responded to your comment in the article above.
I am concerned that in our basement there are a total of 12 adaptable unit car parking spaces and 3 of the adaptable car parking spaces are on corners. The shared zones open onto the traffic side of these spaces. These spaces do not display the international symbols nor is there a bollard on the shared zone. When I raised concerns with strata management they don’t seem to know much only that its been certified. People park on these shared zones as it appears confusing. What can I do to have these parking spaces removed as they are dangerous and from my understanding do not comply with Australian Standards?
Hi Jackie,
We have responded to your comment in the article above.
I live in a 12 unit block apartment. I suffer a disability which restricts my mobility and causes chronic pain. In this block I do have a garage, but due to its very narrow entry I find it almost impossible to access the vehicle, weather it be getting in or out. I have been parking on common ground immediately out front of the garage door. There has been an allocated parking spot immediately parallel to the area out front of my driveway thats been used by another owner residing in the unit above who claim they need it as they do general maintenance around the property. We have the same car so occupied area is the same and it does not impede any other driver or access to any driveway. The sign where the maintenance man parks is located states no parking but recently has had it written into the bylaws as he and a small minority push for their own interest and it seems whomever sides with them. I have requested this small amendment previously but was voted no. Possibly by not being in the clicke. As a result, I am almost immobile and I do not leave the apartment, sometimes for months. Only when a carer picks me up or moves the car so I can access it. Where do I stand to make this small request that cost no money to anyone and by no way is in an inconvenience to anyone else.
Kind Regards
Dan
I live in a townhouse complex. We have a disabled visitor spot, however, one homeowner parks there daily. Additionally, this person does not have a permit. Is there anything I can do about this? It’s frustrating when I have visitors who do have a disability who have to park on the other side of the street and walk to the unit.
Hi Shayla
I believe you reside in QLD, is that correct? If so, this post will help with your question: QLD: The golden rules of bylaw enforcement
We need help. We have a young resident who insists on using Visitors Car Park, backed by his mother, who says they are not in use all the time, therefore her children are entitled to use them. pleas, letters from our Manager who looks after our building are ignored, and we have issued form 10, but to no avail. We have only five visitors car parks for fourteen units, and we need them especially on weekends, as we are on the a Gold Coast, and some of us have interstate visitors. They have no intention of leaving the car park, at all, so what can we do to move them on. Signs are up, stating they are for visitors only, and all other owners, respect the bylaw. Is there anything we can or are we saddled with this problem? We really need help and advice on this one. Thankyou.
Hi Annie
We have a couple of QLD parking and bylaw enforcement articles which will assist you:
* QLD: Q&A The First rule of Visitor Parking in Apartments – umm, it’s for visitors! – scroll down to the last Q&A “The first rule of visitor parking is that it is for visitors. If someone is living in the scheme full time as an occupant (whether as an owner or tenant) then they should not be using the visitor car parks.”
* QLD: The golden rules of bylaw enforcement + Q&As – steps you through what action you need to take now.
We have just done our final pre settlement check on our new unit in a Strata but when we checked our numbered parking space it has a disability parking sign painted on our allotted space. Can someone please tell me if this means anyone can use it and why has this been done? We are not disabled.
Hi Sharon
Thanks for your comments. We have received the following reply from Leanne Habib, Premium Strata:
This is a legal matter which you should raise with the lawyer handling your conveyance – your car space may mistakenly have been swapped for a common property visitor car space or disabled car space or the space might not even be a “disabled” car space for public use but rather an “adaptable” car space which is becoming more common in newer developments to allow a wider market for disabled people buying properties.
The lawyer will need to carefully review the contract to determine what type of an apartment you have purchased and also examine the strata plan and how it corresponds with your allocated space and whether what is shown on the strata plan matches what is physically at the site.