Environmental planning and buildings services director David Shaw said planning staff would carry out a parking survey by the end of the year.

The last parking survey, released in early 2013, found there were about 1500 empty car spaces in the CBD at any one time and recommended the introduction of mobile parking enforcement.

But Mr Shaw told council’s policy committee meeting that it was time for another review of parking.

“We should have all the information by the end of the year and a report should come before council early next year,” Mr Shaw said.

The introduction of mobile parking enforcement in March has had an impact on CBD workers, in particular, who must either scramble for one of the increasingly rare all-day parking spaces close to the centre of town or regularly move their car during the day to avoid a $104 fine.

And the squeeze is set to become tighter in the new year if council accepts a traffic committee recommendation to convert another 116 all-day car spaces in the council-owned car park behind Bathurst RSL to four-hour time limited spots.

Mr Shaw said the new review would look at whether the time limits currently in place on CBD streets and in council car parks were still appropriate.

The review is also likely to explore the need for a multi-storey car park in the CBD, with Carrington Park the favoured site at this stage.

Deputy mayor Ian North has asked council to consider calling for expressions of interest to build the car park, while Cr Monica Morse asked the policy committee meeting if council had ever completed a costs study on building a multi-level car park behind the RSL.

General manager David Sherley said no such study had been done, to his knowledge.

“But that area has been identified in council’s retail strategy as the site for the next shopping centre in the CBD and as part of that development we would expect to see a larger car park constructed,” Mr Sherley said.

“But that would be timed parking.”

A final decision on timed parking in the RSL car park is expected at tonight’s last full council meeting for the year.