2.16 Safety by Design
Part 2 – General Considerations for Development
This section describes the use of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and applies to all new buildings and major renovations.
The objective is to design streets, parks, and buildings in a manner that naturally discourages crime and fosters a safe, welcoming environment. Rather than relying solely on technological solutions such as alarms, cameras, or sensor lighting, CPTED employs strategic design elements—such as the placement of windows and effective pathway lighting—to inherently improve environmental safety and mitigate crime risk.
Objectives
Community Safety: To create environments where residents and visitors feel physically and socially safe at all times of the day.
Crime Prevention: To naturally discourage criminal and anti-social behaviour by applying CPTED principles (Surveillance, Access, Territory, and Maintenance).
Visibility and Sightlines: To maximise surveillance of the public domain by designing clear sightlines and using windows and balconies to overlook public spaces.
Active Public Spaces: To design well-lit, attractive, and busy public areas that encourage community use, reducing the need for security upgrades or retrofitting later.
Controls
Visibility and Surveillance
Landscaping is to aim to maintain clear sightlines to public thoroughfares and footpaths. Where practical, planting is to avoid dense foliage between 600mm and 2000mm above ground level to minimise potential hiding spots.
Building façades facing a street, park, or communal area are to incorporate well-located windows or balconies to provide effective passive surveillance. The design and placement of these features are to be optimised where appropriate, taking into consideration local heritage controls and privacy. For commercial buildings, active frontages are strongly encouraged.
Ground floor commercial or retail spaces are to use transparent glazing (not frosted or shuttered) to allow two-way visibility at night.
Where new dwellings (such as secondary dwellings) have a primary entrance from a rear lane, the entrance is to be well-lit, clearly identifiable, and designed to maximise passive surveillance from adjoining properties or the lane itself.
Lighting and Wayfinding
All building entries, car park alcoves, and communal paths are to be lit to the Australian Standard Lighting for roads and public spaces, Part 4: Lighting of pedestrian crossings (AS 1158).
Lighting is to be directed toward paths and access points to provide safe wayfinding and clear visibility, while being appropriately shielded to prevent hazardous glare for pedestrians and avoid light spill into adjacent windows.
Street numbers are to be at least 150mm high and clearly visible from the roadside. For multi-unit sites, directional signage is to be placed at every entry point showing unit numbers.
Where practical, lift lobbies and stairwells are to be visible through glass panels from the public street or communal courtyards.
Access and Territory
The transition from public footpath to private property is to be clearly marked. Use "soft" measures rather than high solid walls, like:
- a)A change in paving texture
- b)Low permeable fencing
- c)Gardens
Main pedestrian entries are to be prominent, unobstructed, and identifiable from the street.
Communal car parks:
- a)Are to be fitted with automatic secure gates
- b)Exit points for pedestrians are to be clearly marked with signs directing users to the nearest lift or stairs
The following are to be located in areas with high pedestrian traffic and constant lighting:
- a)Automatic teller machines
- b)Bicycle racks
- c)Public phones
Maintenance and Damage Control
Large, flat walls visible from the street are to be treated with at least one of the following:
- a)Vertical landscaping or climbing plants on trellises
- b)Textured surfaces with rough render or non-continuous fencing
- c)Commissioned art murals or mosaics
All external fittings (bins, benches, lighting) are to be made of sturdy, vandal-resistant materials like treated metal or hardwood.