Canberra Hospital’s Southern carpark is at capacity. Another multi-storey carpark in Yamba Drive would ease the pressure. Photo: Canberra Health Services.
ACT Labor has promised to build a new multi-storey carpark in Yamba Drive to resolve ongoing parking issues at the Canberra Hospital campus.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said Labor would continue to make construction of new hospital infrastructure a priority if it was returned to government.
This included the construction of a new northside hospital in Belconnen and more public transport connections and parking for the major hospitals.
“Having recently completed the Critical Services Building, a re-elected Labor Government will also continue to upgrade and improve the Canberra Hospital campus in Woden,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“We will explore options to work with non-government partners to deliver the new carpark for the Canberra Hospital, with construction expected to start in the next term.”
In 2020, the government built a new 1100-space surface carpark on the former CIT site in Ainsworth Street to service the Canberra Hospital while the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children was upgraded and the Critical Services Building constructed.
It is still operating for now, with more spaces now workers on the Critical Services Building have left.
The current Yamba Drive South carpark sits across the road from the hospital campus, is open 24/7 and has a three-hour time limit.
The Southern multi-storey carpark in Bateson Road is also open 24/7 with a three-hour time limit, with several floors dedicated to staff vehicles.
There are also various short-stay and accessible options across the campus.
But parking has long been a bugbear for staff, patients and visitors to the campus and complaints continue, particularly about convenient accessible parking and fines for unintended overstaying.
Overall, Canberra Health Services says there are more than 4200 spaces on the campus plus a courtesy bus that loops every 15 minutes.
Ms Stephen-Smith said a Labor government would also upgrade the Yamba Drive entry, open a new acute palliative care ward and expand endoscopy services at the Canberra Hospital.
She said the Northside Hospital project was a significant point of difference for Labor in the election campaign.
“Labor is the only party to commit to a new public hospital in Canberra’s north,” she said. “It’s a critical project that will support health care in our city for decades to come, and that’s why we will start construction on the project in the next term.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said the Northside Hospital would include a bigger emergency department, a larger ICU, more operating theatres, and the latest medical technology and equipment.
“Building on the successful consultation model for the Canberra Hospital expansion, we will continue to work closely with health workers, consumers and carers to deliver a hospital that is fit for purpose,” she said.
Labor also plans to hire 800 more health workers, expand services at Walk-in Centres and deliver more health services across the ACT.
Loading ...
