Owner and occupier guide

Lockable parking bollards: reserve your car space

Short answer: To stop people parking in your space, a removable 90mm key-lock bollard (SW-RB90) in your bay, with a bolt-down storage holder (SW-SL90) for when it is lifted out, is a common way to reserve it. Get owners corporation approval in writing first. It marks the bay and keeps a car at parking speed out, but it is not crash-rated and will not stop a determined driver. The product is from $145 ex GST, and contractor installation is typically $250–$700 per bollard (a general range, not a SafeWise quote).

Figures: SafeWise product data. Standards are quoted as commonly cited guidance, so check the current edition. How we check.

A lockable parking bollard, sometimes called a parking post, keeps other cars out of your bay and lifts out when you park. Here is the approval, bollard, placement, cost and limits.

Updated 28 October 2026

On this page: Approval · Which bollard · Where it goes · Cost · What it won't do · Keys · Getting it done · FAQs

90mm removable key-lock bollard fitted into its in-ground socket, shown before installation

Approval first

Do I need strata approval to put a bollard in my car space?

Usually yes, if the space is in a strata scheme. Get it in writing before you buy or drill.

Works on common property generally need owners corporation approval in Victoria and NSW, and body corporate approval in Queensland. The space itself, the slab and the driveway around it may be common property even when you have exclusive use. Your plan of subdivision and your by-laws show whether the space is lot property or common property. Check your by-laws and ask your manager. This is general information, not legal advice. If you rent, you need the owner's consent as well.

What to bring with your request

  • The product. Name the bollard and size (for example the 90mm SW-RB90 and a SW-SL90 storage holder) and attach the spec.
  • The position. A sketch or marked-up photo showing where the socket and the holder go, and that the bollard stays inside your own bay.
  • How it is removed. It lifts out with a key and parks in a bolt-down holder, so nothing is left in the aisle.
  • Who holds the keys. Say who keeps the keys and the spare, and how a lost key is handled: see removable bollard keys and key control.

Don't block emergency access, accessible parking or paths, or a right-of-way. The strata and owners corporation bollards guide covers the committee's side of the decision. If any part of the bay is on a footpath, nature strip or road reserve, that is council land and generally needs council consent: see the council approval guide. A home driveway has its own checks in the driveway bollards guide.

Which bollard

The right bollard for a reserved bay

Prices as at October 2026: per-unit starting points, ex GST and freight.

OptionFor a reserved bayFrom (ex GST)
Removable 90mm (SW-RB90)The usual choice. Ø90, 900mm above ground, approx. 9.5kg. Lifts out with a key. Own in-ground socket, cover plate, key lock and keys included$120
Removable 140mm (SW-RB140)A larger, more visible post, but approx. 13.5kg to lift every time$140
Fixed bollardBlocks the bay for good, so you can't park in it either$80 (90mm)
Wheel stop (SW-WS1650)Stops a car rolling forward in the bay. Doesn't keep another car out of it$50

For most reserved spaces, the 90mm removable bollard is the right size: the key holder lifts it out to park and drops it back to hold the bay. See removable vs fixed bollards and 90mm vs 140mm for the trade-offs.

Add a storage holder. The SW-SL90 is a bolt-down floor fitting that parks the removed bollard (internal 102mm, 4mm wall, about 225mm high, base plate 150 × 105 × 5mm) from $25 ex GST, and it is in stock. It is not the in-ground socket: that comes with the bollard.

Where it goes

Where the bollard goes in the bay

  • Inside your own bay. Set it at the open end of the bay, so you lift it out before you drive in and drop it back after you leave.
  • Not over the line. Keep it out of the aisle, your neighbour's bay, exits, accessible paths and any right-of-way.
  • Socket set flush. The socket is set flush with the finished surface, and a cover plate is supplied (Ø187mm for the 90mm).
  • A home for the bollard. Bolt the holder where the owners corporation agrees, out of the way of traffic, so a removed bollard isn't left lying in the aisle.
Removable safety bollard parked in a bolt-down storage holder on a concrete path

The socket needs a core hole about Ø130mm and about 225mm deep for the 90mm bollard, or is cast into wet concrete, so the slab and the services under it matter: lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry first. The removable bollard installation guide has the steps for your installer.

Cost

What it costs for one bay

SafeWise supplies only. Installation is a separate job for your own contractor.

LineAmount
Removable 90mm bollard, with socket, lock and keys (from)$120
Storage holder 90mm (SW-SL90)$25
Product subtotal$145 ex GST ($159.50 inc GST)
Contractor installation, general range$250–$700 per bollard
One bollard plus one holder, supplied and installedAround $395–$845 ex GST

Contractor installation is typically $250–$700 per bollard (a general range, see the bollard cost guide; not a SafeWise quote), so one bollard plus one holder lands around $395–$845 ex GST before freight. Your installer's quote is the one that counts. Freight to your postcode is quoted per job, and a written quote comes before anything is committed.

Pricing a job like this? Send sizes, quantities and your postcode.

Request a quote

Be realistic

What a parking bollard will not do

Safety and delineation bollards: not impact-tested or certified to hostile-vehicle standards such as PAS 68 or IWA 14. A bollard marks your bay, deters and keeps a car at parking speed out. It does not do more than that: see safety vs crash-rated bollards.

  • It won't stop a determined driver. A car driven into it, or a key copy used to lift it out, gets past it.
  • The key lock is not a security rating. Security depends on who holds the keys.
  • It doesn't settle who owns the space. That is set by your title and scheme rules, not by a bollard.
  • It can't fix parking on the street. A car parked across your entrance on a public road is a matter for your local council or the police.
  • It is a daily lift. The 90mm weighs approx. 9.5kg. If the bay opens many times a day, consider a fold-down or automatic bollard instead.

Keys

Keys and who holds them

Each removable bollard is supplied with its key lock and keys. Decide who holds them and keep a spare somewhere separate. In a scheme, the manager can keep a written register, collect keys when a resident leaves and hold the spares. The reserved-bay section of the car park safety checklist covers key registers and checking that every removed bollard is back in its holder. For a register template and a lost-key checklist, see removable bollard keys and key control, and for how the socket and lock work, how removable bollards work.

Getting it done

From approval to a reserved bay

  1. 1. Get written approval

    From the owners corporation, plus the owner's consent if you rent.

  2. 2. Ask for a written quote

    The bollard is pre-order on the next container, so the quote gives the expected landing date. The holder is in stock in Melbourne.

  3. 3. Book an installer

    They lodge the BYDA enquiry, core-drill or cast the socket and fit the holder with suitable fixings, which are not included.

  4. 4. Hand over the keys

    Record who holds each key and where the spare lives.

FAQs

Questions about reserving a car space

Can I put a bollard in my car space in an apartment building?

Only with approval. Work on strata common property generally needs owners corporation approval through the committee or manager, so get it in writing before a SafeWise removable bollard is installed, even if the space is exclusively yours.

Do I need owners corporation or body corporate approval for a bollard in my car space?

Usually yes if the space is in a strata scheme. Works on common property generally need owners corporation approval in Victoria and NSW and body corporate approval in Queensland. Check your by-laws and ask your manager, and bring a written proposal showing the product, the position, how it is removed and who holds the keys.

Which SafeWise bollard reserves a car space?

The Removable Bollard 90mm (SW-RB90) is the usual choice, from $120 ex GST with its in-ground socket, key lock and keys included. It stands 900mm above ground and weighs approx. 9.5kg. The 140mm (SW-RB140) is larger and heavier, at approx. 13.5kg, from $140.

Do I need a storage holder as well as the bollard?

It is worth having one. The Bollard Storage Holder 90mm (SW-SL90) is a bolt-down floor fitting that parks the removed bollard, $25 ex GST and in stock. The in-ground socket is different: it comes with the bollard and stays in the ground.

How much does it cost to reserve a car space with a bollard?

SafeWise product costs from $145 ex GST for a 90mm removable bollard plus a holder. Contractor installation is typically $250 to $700 per bollard (a general range, not a SafeWise quote), so the total lands around $395 to $845 ex GST before freight.

Will a lockable bollard stop someone parking in my space?

It keeps a car at parking speed out of the bay, but it is a safety and delineation bollard, not crash-rated, and it will not stop a determined driver. SafeWise bollards are not impact-tested or certified to PAS 68 or IWA 14.

Who looks after the keys to a removable bollard?

The key holder decides, and in a strata scheme the manager can keep a written register and the spares. Each SafeWise removable bollard is supplied with its key lock and keys, and a spare is best kept somewhere separate.

What is the difference between a parking post and a parking bollard?

The two terms are used interchangeably. The points that matter are whether it is lockable and whether it is removable: a lockable, removable parking bollard lifts out with a key so you can park, then locks back in to hold the space.

Related products

What you need for a reserved bay

Bollards and wheel stops are pre-order on the next container: factory production typically takes 15–20 days, plus sea freight and customs. Storage holders are in stock now. Prices as at October 2026.

Pricing a bollard for your bay?

Send us your postcode and whether you want the 90mm or 140mm. We aim to reply within one business day with a written quote, and nothing is committed until you confirm it.

Request a quote

Related guides

Keep reading