--- title: "Evacuation Diagrams for Car Parks in Australia" description: "Car parks are one of the most overlooked buildings when it comes to evacuation diagram compliance. This guide covers the unique hazards, AS 3745 requirements, placement challenges, and who is responsible for keeping car park diagrams current." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-car-parks-parking-structures source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-car-parks-parking-structures --- # Evacuation Diagrams for Car Parks in Australia > Car parks are one of the most overlooked buildings when it comes to evacuation diagram compliance. This guide covers the unique hazards, AS 3745 requirements, placement challenges, and who is responsible for keeping car park diagrams current. _EvacPath Team · 2026-04-07 · 9 min read_ Car parks are among the most frequently overlooked building types when it comes to evacuation diagram compliance. Facility managers often focus on the floors above, assuming the car park takes care of itself. It does not. Whether you operate an underground basement, a multi-storey structure, an open-deck facility attached to a shopping centre, or a single-level surface car park beneath an office tower, [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010 applies. This guide covers why car parks need evacuation diagrams, what those diagrams must show, the unique challenges of installing them in parking environments, and who carries the compliance responsibility. ## Why Car Parks Are Often Overlooked The assumption that car parks do not need evacuation diagrams is remarkably common. The logic tends to be: people park, walk to the lift or stairs, and leave. They are not working there. They know how to get out. This reasoning does not hold up. Visitors to a multi-storey car park on the third sub-basement level of a busy shopping centre have no inherent knowledge of the exit routes, the fire stairs, the emergency phones, or the assembly area. A vehicle fire in a tightly packed underground structure creates dense smoke very quickly. Disorientation in low-visibility environments is a genuine and serious risk. The NCC (National Construction Code) and AS 3745:2010 both recognise car parks as occupiable facilities. An underground car park is an enclosed structure with emergency equipment, designated exits, and occupants (even transient ones). It requires the same structured approach to emergency planning and evacuation diagrams as any other part of the building. ## Types of Car Parks and Their Specific Hazards Not all car parks are the same, and the type of structure affects what your evacuation diagrams need to show and where they need to be placed. The main types you will encounter: - Underground or basement car parks: Enclosed, often multi-level, reliant on mechanical ventilation, limited natural light, and prone to smoke accumulation - Multi-storey above-ground structures: Open or semi-open, with ramp access between levels, fire stairs serving multiple floors, and potentially shared with pedestrian access points - Open-deck structures: Partially open to the elements, lower smoke risk but still requiring clear exit wayfinding, especially at night or in poor weather - Basement levels beneath office towers or retail centres: Often interconnected with the main building, raising questions about which diagram covers which area - Surface car parks with covered sections: May seem low-risk but still need diagrams if enclosed areas are present Underground car parks present the highest risk profile. Vehicle exhaust accumulation, fuel spill hazards, restricted sight lines due to columns and ramps, and the absence of natural light all contribute to a more complex emergency environment. Mechanical ventilation systems are critical life-safety features in these spaces, and their zones and activation points should be reflected in evacuation diagrams where relevant. ## What Evacuation Diagrams for Car Parks Must Show Car park evacuation diagrams must comply with the same AS 3745:2010 requirements as any other diagram, with some additional considerations specific to the parking environment. Standard mandatory elements include: - The floor plan of the car park level, accurately showing parking bays, columns, ramps, and structural features - "You Are Here" marker accurately placed at the diagram's installed location - All pedestrian exit routes, clearly distinguished from vehicle entry and exit ramps - Locations of fire exit doors and fire stairs serving that level - Locations of fire extinguishers and fire hose reels - Manual call points (break glass alarms) - Emergency phone locations (many car parks have intercommunication phones) - Assembly area location - Building address and car park level identifier - Date of last review Car park diagrams often need to make a clear visual distinction between pedestrian exits and vehicle ramps. Occupants in a fire situation should never be directed toward a vehicle ramp as an exit route. The diagram must make this obvious at a glance, using clear graphical conventions, pedestrian exits shown prominently with exit arrows, vehicle ramps clearly labelled as ramps rather than exits. Where mechanical ventilation systems are present and their zones are relevant to emergency response (for example, smoke exhaust fan activation zones), these may be worth noting on the diagram or in the associated emergency plan. Similarly, if there are disabled refuge areas within the car park, which are required in some modern structures, these must be shown. ## How Car Park Diagrams Relate to the Main Building A common question is whether car park evacuation diagrams are part of the same set as the diagrams for the floors above. The answer depends on how the building is structured. If the car park is a basement level of a commercial office building, it will typically form part of the overall building diagram set. The same emergency contact numbers, assembly area, and warden structure will apply. The car park diagrams should be consistent with the building diagrams, same address, same assembly area, same emergency phone numbers. If the car park is a standalone multi-storey structure, it may have its own emergency plan and diagram set, particularly if it is not directly managed by the same organisation as the adjacent buildings. Shopping centre car parks are a common grey area. The centre management typically takes responsibility for diagrams in areas under their control, but individual tenants with direct car park access areas may need to coordinate to ensure there are no gaps. Each level of a multi-storey or basement car park should have at least one diagram, and in large car parks, multiple diagrams per level are appropriate. ## Placement Challenges in Car Parks Installing evacuation diagrams in car parks presents practical challenges that do not apply in office environments. Key considerations: - Diagrams must be mounted between 1,200mm and 1,600mm from the floor, which can be difficult in areas with low ceilings, pipes, or ducting - Locations near lift lobbies and stairwell entry points are priorities. These are where occupants will look for wayfinding information - Diagrams near vehicle ramps risk damage from vibration, exhaust deposits, and moisture. Protective covers or laminated framing are recommended - Lighting levels in car parks vary significantly. Ensure diagrams are installed where they will actually be visible, ideally under direct lighting - Diagrams must not be placed on fire doors. This matters in car parks where stairwell doors are often the natural mounting point - In large car parks, consider placing diagrams at multiple points within a level, not just at the main entry stairwell The diagram must also be oriented correctly: "up" on the diagram should align with the direction a person faces when reading it. In car parks with unusual layouts or multiple ramp directions, this orientation requirement deserves careful attention when creating the diagram. ## Who Is Responsible for Car Park Evacuation Diagrams? Responsibility depends on the ownership and management structure of the facility. In a building owned and managed by a single entity (for example, a corporate campus with a basement car park), the building owner or facilities manager is responsible for the entire facility including the car park. In a strata-titled building, the owners corporation or body corporate is typically responsible for common areas, which usually includes basement car parks. Individual lot owners are responsible for their own tenancies, but the car park itself falls under the common property umbrella. In a shopping centre, the centre management company is responsible for diagrams in common areas, including car parks that are part of the centre's common property. Tenants are responsible for their own tenancies. In a standalone commercial car park operated by a parking company (such as a city council car park or a private operator), the operator is responsible for the diagrams in their facility. The key principle from AS 3745 is that the [Emergency Planning Committee](https://evacpath.com/blog/how-to-set-up-emergency-planning-committee) (EPC), or the person performing that function for the facility, is responsible for ensuring evacuation diagrams exist, are current, and are correctly placed. For car parks, this means whoever has management responsibility for the facility must treat the car park as part of the overall emergency planning obligation, not as an afterthought. ## Common Compliance Gaps in Car Park Diagrams Based on the types of buildings we work with at EvacPath, car parks tend to have a predictable set of compliance problems. Common gaps include: - No diagrams at all. The car park was never included in the original diagram set - Diagrams that show only the parking layout without indicating exits, fire equipment, or the "You Are Here" location - Diagrams that have not been updated after a car park reconfiguration or addition of new fire equipment - Vehicle ramps shown or implied as exit routes without clear pedestrian alternatives - Diagrams installed in stairwell voids where they cannot be seen by people in the main car park area - Missing emergency phone locations. These are a critical feature of many car parks and should be on the diagram - No level identifier. In a multi-level car park, occupants need to know which level they are on The NCC requires car parks of certain sizes and types to have specific fire safety systems including sprinklers, smoke exhaust, and hydrant systems. The presence of this equipment needs to be reflected on evacuation diagrams. If your car park has recently had its fire systems upgraded or modified, the diagrams should be reviewed and updated accordingly. ## Get Your Car Park Diagrams Right with EvacPath EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for car parks and parking structures across Australia. We design diagrams that clearly distinguish pedestrian exits from vehicle ramps, show all emergency equipment locations, and meet the placement and orientation requirements of the standard. We work from your floor plans remotely. No site visit required. Diagrams are delivered as print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. Pricing: - A$70 per diagram - Basic Package: A$280 for up to 4 diagrams - Standard Package: A$420 for up to 8 diagrams - Multi-site and larger buildings: contact us for a custom quote If your car park has never had evacuation diagrams, or if the existing ones are outdated, now is the time to get them sorted. Contact EvacPath to get started.