Willoughby softens Leisure Centre parking plan after netball pushback

Netball parents, you can unclench. A little.

In August we reported on Willoughby Council’s plan to bring in members-only and time-limited parking around the Willoughby Leisure Centre precinct. Northern Suburbs Netball Association pushed back hard. So did a lot of you.

Willoughby Council has now made its call. The plan has been watered down and will run as a trial for the 2027 netball season.

What’s changed since August

Upper Leisure Centre car park. Originally members only with a two hour limit. Now three hour parking for Willoughby Leisure Centre users, 1 March to 30 September only.

Grassed car park on Small Street. Still open during netball season under the same rules as the upper car park. Event traffic management officers will run it at peak times.

Lower Leisure Centre car park. Originally three hours. Staff then suggested four. Councillors went further and kept it with no general time limit for the trial. Four dedicated spaces for netball officials are planned near the ramp by Court 3.

Flat Rock Gully Reserve car park. Originally three hours with permit holders exempt. Now no general time limit for the trial.

Artarmon Road (north side). The four hour limit has been scrapped.

Restrictions now target the winter sports season rather than running all year. Willoughby Council also says it will step up parking enforcement in the surrounding residential streets.

So what about that multistorey car park?

Norths Netball and plenty of residents asked for one. Willoughby Council says a multi-level car park isn’t commercially viable right now because parts of the site sit on a former landfill.

It is also talking with sporting groups about spreading games across more evenings to ease the weekend crunch. Parking attendants and traffic officers will keep helping out at peak times.

You showed up

Willoughby Council received 457 unique responses. Around 90% opposed the plan or raised concerns about part of it. More than 80% of the email submissions came from the Norths Netball community.

It wasn’t only Willoughby locals either. Residents from Lane Cove, Lane Cove North and Greenwich were among those who had their say. Support came mostly from nearby residents who want better turnover and less pressure on their own streets.

You can read the full Community Engagement Outcomes Report and the Council resolution on Have Your Say Willoughby.

What happens next

The trial runs through the 2027 netball season. Willoughby Council’s General Manager will monitor parking, traffic and access, including on Salisbury Road and Marlborough Road. Staff will run parking occupancy surveys and report back at the end of the season. That report will include whether a resident parking scheme is needed.

So 2027 is the test. If the car park still feels like a lucky dip, keep notes. You’ll get another chance to speak up when the trial results come back.

Timeline

Read our original story: Willoughby wants to restrict Leisure Centre parking. Netball isn’t having it.