A Queenstown high school is to begin wheel-clamping the cars of pupils who park in staff spots.
Wakatipu High School has introduced clamping to discourage pupils, parents, neighbours and commuters from using its car park.
The release fee is $200 or $250 if the car is towed.
The Fryer St school, which moves to a new site in January, has 52 parks but more than 90 staff.
''It is a big step and to be fair you wouldn't expect it from a school,'' principal Steve Hall said.
''It's not the normal thing but it's just our extraordinary circumstance where we've got very, very full.
''Every space counts for us.''
School staff will clamp offending cars but they do not have the keys to remove the clamps.
The release fee is payable to Remarkable Towing, which owns the clamps. It can take the company one to two hours to get to the school.
The school has put notices on windscreens of unauthorised cars in recent weeks, held assemblies, installed new signs, and detailed the change in the school newsletter.
Andrea Wilton-Connell, the school's executive officer, said that seemed to have discouraged pupils, neighbours and others.
''Hopefully we don't end up clamping too many people,'' she said.
''We certainly hope students won't be clamped but they've been told on numerous occasions [they could be].''
Visitors can get a pass. There is also a council-run car park in Fryer St.
Queenstown Primary School introduced towing at its town centre car park last year.
The high school is considering expanding its car park off Gorge Rd for staff. But that requires resource consent and the school moves to Remarkables Park next year.
Mr Hall hoped there will be enough space there.
''That's the plan - I certainly hope so. It's being built for 1200 [pupils].''
