Overview
- Councillors voted 10–5 to abandon the revised parking meter plan at a heated meeting held Tuesday night, halting a scheme that had been scaled back after consultation.
- The pared-back proposal would have added about 1,400 paid spaces at Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, La Perouse, Little Bay and Malabar while offering Randwick residents permit exemptions.
- Council said the meters would have raised an estimated $3–$3.5 million a year to help pay for lifeguards, surf clubs and coastal walkways after the council spent about $23.5 million on beach management last year.
- Public opposition was vocal and intense in the chamber, with voluntary submissions 82% against the plan even though the council survey of more than 11,000 responses showed roughly 55% support.
- The council motion directs staff to propose alternatives to improve parking turnover and funding such as stricter timed‑parking enforcement, different fees, use of rates or environment levies, and Mayor Dylan Parker warned projects may need reworking if visitor contributions do not materialise.