Parking restrictions in Cromwell and Alexandra will get some ''teeth'' if a roading bylaw covering parking in the towns' commercial centres is adopted next year.
The Central Otago District Council will consider the bylaw after consulting the public early next year.
If implemented, the bylaw will allow parking restrictions to be enforced. Compliance with the restrictions is voluntary now.
The Vincent Community Board discussed the matter last month and agreed to change some Alexandra parking restrictions to include in the draft bylaw.
The Cromwell Community Board recently made changes to parking restrictions in its town, but board members have asked for more details before asking for those changes to be included in the bylaw.
''We agree with the idea of parking restrictions in principle and endorse those changes, but want to know how easy it is to change the bylaw once it's been adopted,'' board chairman Neil Gillespie said.
''That's our concern, once it's been set up. Only the council can make the bylaw, so how easily can subsequent changes be made, if, over time, we realise that further changes need to be made to some restrictions?''
The bylaw would set the parking limits and give those limits some ''teeth'', he said.
''Although, even when the bylaw's been adopted, there's no assumption we're going to appoint a parking warden,'' Cr Gillespie said.
In a report to the board, community road safety adviser Jo Robinson said since a parking review in 2006-07, most of the parking-related requests from the public had been for signs, additional car parking and enforcement of the restrictions.
Instead of a separate bylaw to cover parking, it would be cheaper to include parking in the district roading bylaw, she said.
Proposed changes to the parking restrictions included altering all-day parking in the town centre car parks to two-hour parking.
Mrs Robinson also proposed more accessibility parks in the town centre.
Parking further out from the mall, near the rose garden and travellers' rest, as well as in Iles St, should be unrestricted, she said.
The council was likely to consider submissions and adopt the bylaw in April 2015 and signs would be installed in May and June.
The bylaw would then take effect from July 1 next year.
