Rail commuters will effectively be banned from parking in the main car park at Sutherland Leisure Centre.
Sutherland Shire Council endorsed a recommendation by its traffic committee to impose a four-hour limit from 7am to 6pm, seven days a week, on all 200 plus parking spaces in the sealed parking area.
Unrestricted parking for staff and other motorists will still be available in the unsealed car parks directly south of the main car park.
The basketball centre car park, east of the Leisure Centre, will also remain an untimed parking area.
The date from when the four-hour restriction will apply has yet to be set.
“In preparation for the 4P timed parking proposed for Sutherland Leisure Centre, a report to council is currently being prepared to ensure appropriate community notification is conducted prior,” a council spokesman said.
Sutherland Traffic and Traffic Safety Committee discussed stopping commuters from using the car park on June 2, and deferred the matter for a month to allow discussion with leisure centre management about the exact needs of patrons.
A subsequent report by the committee said other options were considered, including limiting the four-hour restriction to just 170 spaces, and for it to apply only between October and the end of March.
The recommended option was for the restriction to apply to all spaces all year around to meet the demand of Leisure Centre patrons.
“The provision of an area wide, four hour-limit will eliminate all day parking by railway commuters who in recent years are increasingly monopolising the parking spaces in the north-western corner of the car park, directly adjacent to Rawson Avenue,” the report said.
“The three parking aisles closest to Rawson Avenue are generally fully occupied during the day.”