A NSW council has announced plans to introduce paid parking for visitors at some of Sydney's most popular beaches.
Randwick City Council today released a proposal that would make out-of-towners pay to park at Randwick's seven beaches.
They are Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar, Little Bay, La Perouse and Yarra Bay.
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The council said it spends more than $23 million on beach maintenance annually, from rubbish collection to lifeguard services.
Until now, ratepayers have provided all of the funding for those services.
This new paid parking proposal would change that, shifting some of the cost onto beachgoers from outside the Randwick LGA.
Randwick residents would be exempt from the paid parking through a permit system.
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Mayor of Randwick Dylan Parker said it was "only fair" for visitors to contribute to the cost of keeping the area's beaches clean and well-maintained.
"Right now, local ratepayers carry most of that cost, even though the bulk of beach users in summer are visitors," he said in a statement.
"That's not fair or sustainable in the long term."
About nine million visits are made to Randwick's beaches each year, but nearly 84 per cent of visitors come from outside the local LGA.
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If the new proposal goes ahead, revenue raised from making visitors pay for parking would go towards providing beach services, funding new coastal infrastructure, and supporting sustainable transport.
"Providing beaches that are clean, safe and inviting is a significant cost for locals alone to bear," Parker said.
"This proposal is about ensuring we can fairly continue serving the needs of all beachgoers."
The council has today started a six-week community consultation period to get resident feedback on whether the proposal should go ahead.
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