Hospital Carpark Compliance Upgrade: 18 Accessible Bays in Dandenong

The Challenge: $86,400 in Potential Fines and 30 Days to Fix It

A private hospital in Dandenong received a compliance notice that made their facilities manager's heart sink. All 18 accessible parking bays were non-compliant. Each bay was marked at 2.9 metres instead of the required 3.2 metres under AS/NZS 2890.6. The shared zones? Undersized or missing entirely.

The penalty: $4,800 per bay if not rectified within 30 days. That's $86,400 in potential fines. More importantly, patients with disabilities were struggling to access the hospital because the bays were too narrow for wheelchair transfers.

Here's the problem the previous contractor hadn't explained: you can't just widen accessible bays without affecting adjacent parking. The entire section needed reconfiguration. Some standard bays would have to go. The hospital needed a solution that maintained compliance while minimising lost parking capacity.

Our Approach: Complete Redesign, Not Just Repaint

We started with the maths. 18 compliant accessible bays at 3.2m width plus shared zones would require roughly 15% more space than the current non-compliant layout. Something had to give.

Layout Redesign

We proposed relocating the accessible parking section closer to the main entrance (better for patients anyway) and consolidating the bays into paired arrangements with shared zones between them. This reduced the total footprint compared to individual bays with separate access aisles. Net result: 18 compliant accessible bays with only 6 standard bays lost.

Compliance Documentation

Before we painted anything, we prepared a complete compliance package: drawings showing AS/NZS 2890.6 dimensions, sight line calculations, and proposed signage locations. The hospital's legal team reviewed and approved. No ambiguity, no surprises at inspection.

Night Work Schedule

Hospitals don't close. We scheduled all work for three consecutive nights, 9pm to 5am, when visitor parking was minimal. Emergency department access was maintained throughout. We coordinated with hospital security to manage any vehicles that remained overnight.

Material Selection

Given the high-stakes nature of the compliance inspection, we used premium materials throughout. Thermoplastic for all bay markings ensuring longevity. Pre-formed thermoplastic wheelchair symbols for crisp, consistent appearance. Tactile ground surface indicators at pedestrian access points per AS/NZS 1428.4.1.

The Results: Fines Avoided, Compliance Achieved, Patients First

The council inspector arrived 14 days after we completed the work. Every bay measured precisely 3.2 metres. Every shared zone met the 2.4 metre requirement. Every symbol was correctly sized at 1000mm x 1000mm. Inspection passed, fines avoided.

But the real result was watching patients actually use the bays. Wheelchair users could transfer safely. Carers had room to assist. The hospital's patient experience coordinator told us complaints about accessible parking dropped to zero.

The $86,400 in fines? Never applied. The hospital's total investment in proper compliance was roughly a quarter of what the penalties would have cost.