Help is at hand to solve Wollongong Hospital's parking woes, with a commitment from the State Government to fund a new $28.5 million multi-level carpark.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The new car park would provide 600 spaces and is planned to be ready in time for the opening of the hospital's new elective surgery unit in 2015.
Health Minister Jillian Skinner will today announce the car park funding, which is to be included in the June 12 State Budget.
The news comes after sustained coverage by the Mercury into the parking problems at the hospital, where people had been told that if they could find a parking space within 15 minutes' walk of the hospital, that was acceptable.
Mrs Skinner said the decision to fund a new car park came after the community made its views clear.
"After hearing their pleas for better parking facilities around the hospital, the O'Farrell Government is now able to deliver a solution," she said.
"This important investment will alleviate the parking issues in peak times and provide excess spaces at other times."
The proposed redevelopment includes seven operating theatres, a 60-bed surgical ward, 24-bed intensive care unit, an expanded emergency department and improved cancer care services.
It will employ 481 extra full-time staff by 2019, the hospital could be treating an extra 375 patients a day.
Wollongong City Council had estimated that with no extra parking provided, the expansion project was short 779 car spaces.
The location for the new car park has not been selected but Mrs Skinner said access to the hospital from the carpark would be via the footbridge over New Dapto Rd.
She said options for the location were "still being considered".
Last month the Mercury revealed that the hospital had collected about $4 million in parking fees over the past five years but had not spent any of it on new parking spots.
We took several hospital users along a walk from parking spots listed as being within the 15-minute walk from the facility.
But none of those who attempted the journey could do it within the 15 minutes.
Mrs Skinner will make the announcement today at Wollongong Hospital, along with Member for Kiama Gareth Ward and Member for Heathcote Lee Evans.
Construction of the new car park is scheduled to begin next year.
Mr Evans said the extra parking spaces would increase the efficiency of the new hospital.
"This is wonderful news for those people who want easy access to the improved surgical and associated services that the elective surgery unit will deliver," he said.
Mrs Skinner said the project was "the largest and most significant capital works project undertaken at Wollongong for several years".