No answer to park fees

Govt, operator stay mum on hospital dilemma

THE owner of the Gold Coast University Hospital car park and the State Government have failed to answer questions on whether they have the power to lower fees for suffering Gold Coast families.

The issue came to the fore this week when Gold Coast mother Donna Watts Smith complained the $17 a day parking fee was preventing her from visiting her daughter in hospital every day.

It was also revealed this week that under a 30-year deal struck between the State Government and Secure, fee rises are capped in line with the CPI.

But neither the office of Health Minister Steven Miles nor Secure would say if they had the ability to lower the existing prices under the contract.

In response to further questions from the Bulletin, the car park owner, Secure Parking, claimed commercial in confidence.

“Car park rates at the GCUH are set in accordance with the terms of the contract,” a company spokeswoman said.

“The contract is subject to commercial in confidence and therefore we are unable to provide any further information.”

The Bulletin put questions to the office of Health Minister Steven Miles, asking for the cost of a contract renegotiation to allow for lower fees or if Secure already had the ability to lower its daily rate for hospital goers.

The Minister’s office, which had already been notified of Secure Parking’s response, claimed it too was restricted by commercial in confidence.

There was no comment from the Minister or the department on the possibility of a renegotiation of the fees.

On Wednesday, the Bulletin reported Ms Watts Smith had been visiting her daughter Sammie, who has cystic fibrosis, in hospitals for 27 years.

“Of course I would like to go up there every day,” Ms Watts Smith said. “But $17 is super expensive and you end up paying into the hundreds by the end of the week. We can’t afford it.” Wednesday’s Bulletin