According to a new report, Wollongong City Council issued more parking infringements last year than Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven councils combined.

Since 2002 Wollongong City Council's parking fine revenue has jumped fourfold and the number of fines issued more than tripled, according to the study by the NSW Department of Local Government.

The 356 per cent increase since 2002 was the fourth highest increase in revenue of the 18 councils studied.

Wollongong's $850,000 revenue last year pales in comparison to Sydney City Council which raised almost $24.7 million and Waverley Council which took in about $7.9 million.

The largest jump in fines was between 2002-03 and 2003-04 due largely to the replacement of Wollongong's four part-time rangers with full-time rangers.

The number of fines has jumped from 2143 in 2002-03 to 6571 in 2006-07 - an increase of 207 per cent.

In contrast the combined number of fines from Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven councils was only 3652 last financial year.

The dramatic increase is due in part to an increase in full-time parking officers from one in 2002 to eight in 2007. The average number of parking rangers across councils included in the report is 24.

The report also showed no direct correlation between the number of rangers and the number of parking fines.

"Even when the number of officers (in Wollongong) increased by two in 2006-07, revenue and number of fines issued fell," according to the report.

The report also found Wollongong was one of only a few councils across the state that did not have a complaints handling policy for parking rangers.

The council's manager of health and ranger services Garry Meusburger said the council was striving "to find a balance between enforcement levels and monitoring high profile areas such as the city centre, university and school zones to ensure safety and accessibility for the community".