Their suggestion follows two incidents in the past year in which drivers have mounted the footpath and reversed into the Paragon cafe and the IGA supermarket.

The request was made by a police representative who regularly attends the council's traffic committee.

During the May meeting he asked the committee to consider changing the direction of parking to avoid similar accidents in future.

Fortunately there were no injuries when the accidents occurred, but there is concern for the safety of pedestrians if a car mounts the footpath while someone is walking between the kerb and a shop front.

It's believed Cootamundra's main street parking has always been rear-to-kerb.

The chair of the traffic committee, Councillor Charlie Sheahan, says that at the age of 65, and having lived in Cootamundra all his life, he can remember it being that way when he was a child.

By contrast, parking at Gundagai has always been front to kerb.

Cr Sheahan said he personally prefers rear-to-kerb.

"There are pros and cons both ways," he told the Herald.

"I've always argued in favour of rear-to-kerb because of the safety aspect when people are putting groceries and other goods into the back of their cars, sometimes with children helping them," he said.

"It's also safer for children the way the car doors open, so there's less risk of them coming out into the flow of traffic.

"Added to that there's a safety advantage in pulling out with the car facing forwards, rather than having to reverse into the traffic.

However you would get more parking with nose-to-kerb, because it's easier to park closer to the car next to you."

Cr Sheahan said a report would be prepared for the next meeting of the committee on November 12, but no changes would be made without extensive public consultation.

"We would of course have to engage the community before we do anything - I've said to the police they'd could be starting World War 3 with this!

"There are towns that are tail-end and towns nose-end and its always been that way - I think change would be difficult but it's worth a public discussion."

Cr Sheahan added that the issue would probably never have arisen when the kerb was much higher, before the main street was upgraded many years ago.