HOSPITAL PARKING CURE
BUT WILL ANDREWS COUGH UP?
THE Andrews Government is refusing to say if it will follow in the steps of Queensland and subsidise hospital parking in Geelong.
Hospital parking has been a sore point in the Geelong CBD for years, with vulnerable families and patients slugged with fines, and some council candidates even running on the promise of slashing fees for hospital-goers.
Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy will not confirm or deny if the Andrews Government is considering offering any financial relief, despite both the Queensland and New South Wales Government taking action this month on the issue.
Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick announced the Government would spend $7.5 million over four years to create an additional 100,000 free and subsidised parks for families, patients and carers.
THE Andrews Government is refusing to say if it will follow in the steps of Queensland and subsidise hospital parking in Geelong.
Hospital parking has been a sore point in the Geelong CBD for years with vulnerable families and patients slugged with fines, and some council candidates even running on the promise of slashing fees for hospital visitors and patients.
Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy will not confirm or deny if the State Government is considering offering any financial relief, despite both the Queensland and New South Wales governments taking action this month on the issue.
Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick has announced the Palaszczuk Government will spend $7.5 million over four years to create an additional 100,000 free and subsidised parks for families, patients and carers.
The NSW Government officially cut the cost of car parking at its public hospitals this month, after pledging to do so earlier this year.
South Barwon Liberal MP Andrew Katos, who has been heading an Opposition taskforce on how to cope with issues such as parking and congestion arising from the state’s rapidlyexpanding population, said parking near Geelong’s University Hospital was a problem that needed to be addressed.
“Parking is the bane of any visitor to Geelong hospital,” Mr Katos said yesterday.
“It’s upsetting to people — you should not have to be running out feeding meters constantly.”
When asked if the City of Greater Geelong could go it alone and consider free or subsidised car parking around local hospitals, city planning and development director Peter Bettess said any such move would be a matter for the Andrews Government.
“The Queensland situation is quite different to Geelong,” Mr Bettess said.
“Any subsidy in Victoria is an issue for the State Government, not the City (of Greater Geelong).”
Ms Hennessey has spoken out on the issue before, issuing an order to all Victorian public hospitals in late 2015 for them to conduct an urgent review of car parking fees.
“Having to go to hospital regularly can be distressing enough, both as a patient and as a visitor, without having to worry about how much it will cost to park the car,” the Labor MP said at the time.
Geelong council did not answer requests for information on what is currently being done to assist local patients and carers with hospital parking costs, or if the council is aware of community concerns over the issue.
The Queensland decision was the result of a change.org campaign that garnered almost 40,000 signatures.