VIC Body Corporate - Legal Definition of Double Garage?

[Johnny boy123]

Is there a legal definition of what you can call a double garage?

There is an Australian standard that defines a minimum size for a double garage door, but is this legally binding? Also what defines the door, is it the door its self or the gap between the pillars?

I want to know if the property I rent has a "double garage" as the door width and the gap between pillars is not the same as the size of the door and two cars will not fit into it, the body corporate banned me from parking in the communal areas of the property and I am wondering if the advertising of the property as having space for two cars could be misleading.

Thanks

 

[Rob Legat - SBPL]

Apparently there are Australia Standards (AS/NZS 4505:2012 Rec:2017) on garage doors that will likely hold your answer - but it costs $152.66 to get access through SAI Global (there's very little free when it comes to Standards). Standards are also not necessarily legally binding.

Some commentary I can see suggests the minimum double garage size is 5.4m square, with a 4.8m door width. How correct that is, I couldn't say.

A stroll through the Victorian building regulations may assist.

 

[Scruff]

Minimum garage sizes are (apparently) defined in AS 2890.1 Section 5.4. But I can't confirm this because it seems that you can't access Australian Standards without paying. I don't know who's idiotic idea that is.

Anyway, each individual council has their own regulations "based" on Australian Standards - which means that the regulations may or may not actually match those standards. You therefore need to get a copy of the relevant regulation from your local council and compare the minimum dimensions to the internal dimensions of your garage. The good news is that you can usually find this info for free on the council's website.

As for the door, the dimensions relate to the width of the opening ("gap between the pillars").

According to BuildSearch, a building broker in WA, the minimum dimensions as defined by AS 2890.1 Section 5.4 are as follows:

All carports and garages:

Minimum length (depth): 5.4m
Minimum headroom (height): 2.3m
​

Minimum Widths:

Single carport: 2.4m + 0.3m for each enclosed side
Double carport: 4.8m + 0.3m for each enclosed side
Single garage: 3.0m
Double garage: 5.4m
Triple+ garage: 2.4m x number of cars spaces + 0.6m
​

Minimum Door Widths:

Single carport or garage: 2.4m
Double carport or garage: 4.8m
Triple+ garage: Space width x number of car spaces *
​

* "Space width" is not defined in the info I read, so I won't speculate on what it means.

Additionally, you can use the following as a guide in relation to car sizes:

Size               Length        Width        Example *
Small Car          4.3m          1.7m         Hyundai i30
Medium Car         4.6m          1.8m         Mazda 6
Large Car          5.0m          1.9m         Holden Commodore
Medium SUV         4.8m          1.9m         Jeep Cherokee
Large 4×4          5m+           2.0m         Nissan Patrol
* Sizes are estimated averages only for each category and do not match the example car given.

Special thanks to BuildSearch for making this info publicly available.

 

[Johnny boy123]

Thanks Rob and scruff

A look through the building regs reveals no specific dimensions for the opening which the door covers. Doesn't actually say anything about the door size either so I'm guessing that's just recommend. It only says you should provide a parking space 5.4m wide if both spaces that you have to provide for a class 1 building are side by side, but this is kind of silly because it means that I can design a house with a 5.4 wide "parking space" that in theory fits the building code but it reality you cannot get any car into once I put a standard single door on it and leave an opening of only 1m. Since the regulations specify nothing about the size of the opening to access that space. All of which raises the question is it a "parking space" for a car or cars if you can't actually get a car(s) into it but that's a whole other can of worms.

That's how I read it anyway, I'll see if I can find any national rather than state building regulations that say otherwise.

 

[Scruff]

I'll see if I can find any national rather than state building regulations that say otherwise.

The way I understand it is that you will only find the "standards" at national level which are not regulations. The regulations are always set by the council "based" on those standards - and sometimes, very loosely based.

In regard to the door, let's say for example you have a 5.4m wide garage and a door that is 3m wide, which means you can't get two cars through the door side by side. The council regs should state a minimum door width of around 4.8m for a double garage, so a 3m door would mean that the garage does not meet the regs for a double garage, but it does for a single garage.

What council area are you in?

 

[Johnny boy123]

The way I understand it is that you will only find the "standards" at national level which are not regulations. The regulations are always set by the council "based" on those standards - and sometimes, very loosely based.

In regard to the door, let's say for example you have a 5.4m wide garage and a door that is 3m wide, which means you can't get two cars through the door side by side. The council regs should state a minimum door width of around 4.8m for a double garage, so a 3m door would mean that the garage does not meet the regs for a double garage, but it does for a single garage.

What council area are you in?

Yarra ranges, already called them and they told me they have no regulation on these things themselves they just defer to state regulations when deciding on planning applications.

The state regulations get more specific when it comes to commercial development but the rules for residential have that loop hole open that doesn't seem to care how wide the access is to the parking space.

 

[Tim W]

I don't know who's idiotic idea that is.

The authors', who are entitled to a commercial return on their copyright original literary work...