The suggestion was put forward at last week's Dunedin City Council meeting by deputy mayor Cherry Lucas, who said fees on central city parks would benefit businesses and encourage parking turnover.
Other councillors spoke in favour of the proposal. However, Cr Carmen Houlahan said the "mean-spirited" suggestion would discourage shoppers and disadvantage stores.
People the Otago Daily Times spoke to in the central city seemed to agree.
Alyssa Tweedy, of Dunedin, who works on Sundays, said the proposal would put off shoppers.
"Our busiest day is Sunday and all the customers ... say 'I come to the mall because there's no parking that I have to pay for on this day'."
Workers were not taking up shoppers' parking spaces, "there's not as many of us as there are customers".
"It gets a bit ridiculous when you come in for a nine-hour shift and you have to pay for parking all day."
"I probably wouldn't come into town as much as I do."
Another woman, who declined to give her name, said the council should extend some grace to drivers.
"If we do anything, we come on a Sunday, otherwise we come in a bus because parking is a little bit easier on a Sunday.
"The council have such bloody great ideas about everything that are absolute rubbish - I just think for once they could be kind and let us have free parking."
However, Murray Stevens, of Dunedin, said Sunday parking fees would "not be a biggie".
"I know they're trying to earn more revenue."
The proposal will be consulted on as part of the council's nine-year plan.
