• Section 1 - Context
• Section 2 - Authority
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Procedure
• General Rules for Allocation and Occupancy of University Space
• HDR Student Spaces
• Staff Workspace and Staff Rooms
• Interview, Meeting and Conference Rooms
• External Organisations
• Other Activities

Section 1 - Context

(1) This procedure sets out key requirements for the management of space and parking, operation of drones, and asset security.

Section 2 - Authority

(2) Authority for this document is established by the Property Management Policy.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This procedure applies to all RMIT campuses and locations, buildings, infrastructure, cultural assets, space use and allocation, and facilities within the RMIT Group.

Section 4 - Procedure

General Rules for Allocation and Occupancy of University Space

(4) Space allocated for use by organisational units is periodically reviewed.

(5) New or refurbished general teaching classrooms follow the requirements set out in the Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA) Space Planning Guidelines.

(6) Property Services, in conjunction with stakeholders, determines common teaching spaces that are centrally managed, and those that are College/Portfolio or School/Group/Entity supported specialist spaces.

(7) The University may implement procedures to support the regulation of parking including by defining criteria for the allocation of on-campus parking. (Refer to Parking on Campus webpage for further information.)

(8) Space is shared across organisational units to optimise its effective use.

(9) Space that is identified as being ineffectively utilised after an audit by Property Services may be reassigned or re- purposed.

Research

(10) Space is allocated within research laboratories to researchers and research teams for set periods of time, which normally equates to the expected life of the research project or grant. At the end of this time, approval for use of the allocated space automatically expires, unless the project or grant has a formally approved extension.

(11) Research space that becomes vacant due to discontinuation of a project, expiry of a project or departure of the researcher or team, is re-purposed by Property Services in consultation with the occupying College/School or Portfolio.

(12) Laboratory space:

1. is reallocated as demonstrated needs change
2. must not be used to store inactive equipment or past experiments
3. must be reviewed annually by the responsible organisational unit.

(13) Research data (non-digital) storage space:

1. is allocated to Colleges, Schools and Portfolios according to their data storage needs
2. is managed in accordance with the Information Governance Policy, Research Policy and Research Data Management Policy Process.

(14) Care must be exercised to ensure that the purchase of suitable laboratory equipment does not duplicate existing equipment. Research directors must explore opportunities to share equipment across research/discipline groups.

HDR Student Spaces

(15) Higher degree by research (HDR) students are provided with access to laboratory or studio research spaces as necessary for the completion of their program. In addition, appropriate, bookable and shared workspaces are provided to HDR students. 

(16) HDR workspaces are regularly audited by Property Services and occupancy results reported to Colleges and Centres, the School of Graduate Research, controlled entities, and the Vice-Chancellor's Executive.

(17) If HDR students require more significant storage space than that provided within the workspace, then this must be accommodated within the School’s existing space allocation.

(18) Additional responsibilities of Deans/Heads of Schools and HDR students in relation to space needs are referenced in the Higher Degrees by Research Policy. 

Staff Workspace and Staff Rooms

(19) Staff are given access to appropriate workspace based on work function.

(20) Organisational units occupying space must be consulted on proposals to change access to or the purpose of those spaces as outlined in the consultation process in the relevant enterprise agreement. 

(21) Staff (0.6 FTE or greater) required to work from more than one campus or site are only allocated a workspace at one location. At other locations, staff have access to shared space that operates on either a bookable or ‘hot desk’ basis.

(22) There is an overall space allocation target of 10m² to 12m² Net Lettable Area (NLA) per work point density including common spaces. This takes into account all areas classified as being non-teaching (office space, reception, staff rooms, meeting rooms, resource and administrative support/storage areas) including common areas, access and circulation space, but excludes lifts, common stairs, toilets, voids, plant. Refer to the Property Council of Australia for NLA definition.

(23) Provision of staff rooms in the immediate vicinity of staff office and administrative areas is considered during the planning of workspaces. The size of these areas is subject to space availability and the number of workspaces that need to be serviced.

Interview, Meeting and Conference Rooms

(24)  Interview, meeting and conference rooms are booked through the standard booking system based on their availability.

External Organisations

(25) Where a School or organisational unit wishes to provide space to accommodate an external organisation, they must:

1. seek advice from Property Services
2. obtain approval from Property Services and the executive sponsor before any agreement is negotiated
3. ensure the agreement considers current commercial rates and, at a minimum, require a return equivalent to the operational cost incurred by RMIT in providing the space.

Other Activities

Operation of Drones

(26) Drones or any Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operated on or from RMIT campuses or locations must be operated safely and responsibly in accordance with RMIT’s relevant Health, Safety and Wellbeing process HSW-PR26 Aviation - Drones Process, and in compliance with all local legal and regulatory requirements.  

Naming University Facilities

(27) All RMIT building and space names and any name changes must be approved by the Vice-Chancellor.

Asset Security Management

(28) RMIT’s asset security management program must:

1. provide training and awareness programs specific to asset security management
2. apply appropriate asset security risk management methodologies to protect our people and assets from harm (criteria per SA HB 188:2021 Base Building Physical Security Handbook)
3. identify the people and assets to be safeguarded from security-related threats and vulnerabilities that RMIT may be presented with 
4. recommend appropriate control measures including utilising contemporary technologies available to mitigate security-related risks to people and assets
5. assess and monitor the risk profile based on the current threat environment and adequacy of existing controls in place to delay, deter, detect, respond and recover from potential threats to assets
6. investigate, monitor and analyse security-related trends and recommend additional investment as appropriate to implement further supplementary measures to reduce security-related risk to a tolerable level.

Student and Staff Parking

(29) All privately owned vehicles enter RMIT campuses at their own risk. RMIT does not accept responsibility for any accidents, losses or damage that occurs while privately owned vehicles are on RMIT property.

(30) Parking is managed in accordance with RMIT’s legislative obligations regarding parking enforcement and infringement appeals. This includes:

1. Infringement Act 2006 (Vic)
2. Infringements Regulation 2016 (Vic)
3. Road Safety Rules 2017 (Vic)
4. Road Safety Road Rules 2017 (Vic)
5. Fines Reform Act 2014 (Vic).

(31) Students, staff and visitors must observe parking terms and conditions on campus. When a breach of parking terms and conditions has been identified a Parking Infringement Notice, fine or equivalent is issued.

(32) A Parking Infringement Notice or fine must be paid in full by the due date. Any unpaid Parking Infringement Notice or fine not paid in full by the due date is sent to Fines Victoria for debt collection. (Applicable to Australia only).

(33) RMIT is an authorised Enforcement Agency and authorised officers can issue Parking Infringement Notices per agreement with VicRoads or similar (applicable to Australia only).