We are calling on Sutherland Shire Council to introduce more family/pram parking, trial pregnancy parking and develop a Council-wide Family-Friendly Parking Policy across the Shire.

We are calling on Sutherland Shire Council to recognise the needs of pregnant women, parents, babies and young children in the design, provision and enforcement of parking at Council facilities.

Sutherland Shire is home to thousands of families who regularly use Council facilities including leisure centres, swimming pools, libraries, parks, community centres and other family-focused services.

Yet many of these facilities do not provide adequate parking that considers the practical needs of families with babies and young children.

At Sutherland Leisure Centre, for example, there are currently only two designated pram/family parking spaces. For a facility used by large numbers of families, we believe this is inadequate.

Getting a baby or young child safely in and out of a vehicle can require significantly more space than a standard parking bay, particularly when parents are managing prams, capsules, car seats, bags and multiple young children.

We also believe that pregnant women should be considered in the planning of family-friendly facilities. Pregnancy can significantly affect mobility, balance, comfort and the ability to safely walk longer distances, particularly during the later stages of pregnancy.

We therefore call on Sutherland Shire Council to:

1. Increase dedicated family/pram parking

Review and increase the number of designated family/pram parking spaces at Sutherland Leisure Centre and other Council-owned family facilities where demand warrants it.

2. Introduce designated pregnancy parking

Develop and trial designated pregnancy parking spaces at appropriate Council facilities, particularly high-use family facilities such as leisure centres, pools and community centres.

3. Develop a Council-wide Family Parking Policy

Develop a consistent policy for family-friendly parking across Sutherland Shire Council facilities, including consideration of:

families with babies and young children;
pram access;
pregnancy;
proximity to facility entrances;
adequate space for safely loading and unloading children;
safe pedestrian access between parking areas and facilities.

4. Protect designated family/pram spaces from misuse

Investigate and implement an appropriate enforcement framework for designated family/pram parking spaces, including clear signage identifying who the spaces are intended for and penalties or other enforcement measures where legally available.

In particular, Council should investigate whether parking in a designated family/pram space without a baby or young child can be made an enforceable parking offence, rather than relying solely on voluntary compliance.

5. Audit existing Council facilities

Conduct an audit of Council-owned facilities to determine whether existing parking provision adequately accommodates families with babies, toddlers and young children, and identify locations where additional family/pram or pregnancy parking should be introduced.

6. Consider family accessibility in future developments

Ensure that family-friendly parking and access are considered when designing, upgrading or redeveloping Council facilities.

We are asking Council to recognise that families with babies and young children and pregnant women also have specific access, safety and mobility needs that should be considered in the design of public facilities.

A family-friendly community should make it easier — not harder — for parents to safely access the facilities designed for them.

We respectfully ask Sutherland Shire Council to consider this petition, investigate these proposals and bring the matter forward for formal consideration by Council.