Free parking for Gosford Hospital staff will end on February 1.
A NSW Government spokesperson has confirmed free parking for staff, first announced in April 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic as a “temporary” measure, will end.
Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch, who first raised concerns last week after hearing rumours, has slammed the Government for the move calling it a “massive betrayal to staff”.
“Just as this government was caught lying about providing free parking at Gosford Hospital for everybody, we have now seen that the Minns Labor government intends to rip away free parking for staff come February 1,” Crouch said.
“This is a massive blow and an enormous betrayal adding yet another cost-of-living pressure to Central Coast locals and shows the great hypocrisy of this government.
“It was only in 2021 that the now Premier Chris Minns criticised parking fees for staff at hospitals and was quoted saying “slugging them with this fee is a real slap in the face”.
A NSW Government spokesperson said free staff parking was a temporary measure.
“We have delivered on our commitment to extend free parking to staff and patients in regional and rural hospitals,” the spokesperson said.
“We did this because we wanted to make it easier for patients to access healthcare and treatment and for frontline staff to get to work.”
Free staff parking was still available at other regional hospitals including Wyong – where paid parking for patients is under review – Maitland and Belmont.
John Hunter, Wollongong and Gosford hospitals are principal referral hospitals located in major centres and not part of the free parking initiative.
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites has called on the Government to reconsider the decision.
“The below inflation 4 per cent pay rise that public sector nurses and midwives received this year will be clawed back by this decision to rescind free parking,” he said.
“Like all essential health workers, our members will understandably be upset about this, given the cost-of-living pressures they’re grappling with and the ongoing struggle to secure affordable housing near their workplaces.
“The majority of nurses and midwives are shift workers, so public transport is not always feasible for them.
“They work regular unsociable hours over their rosters to provide a high standard of care to patients, and for a variety of reasons, including personal safety, they commute to work by car.
“These car parking changes have potential to further impact recruitment and retention of staff and we call on the government to reconsider this decision.”
The government spokesperson said most people would reasonably understand that there was a big difference between major hospitals which have access to public transport and regional and rural areas.
“Feedback from the community has raised concerns free parking for all staff at major hospitals is crowding out patients and carers from accessing parking,” the spokesperson said.
“Free parking for health staff was introduced at a time when we were trying to reduce health workers’ exposure to the virus through avoiding public transport.
“It was also a time when visiting loved ones in hospital was substantially limited as well as a period when elective surgery was paused.”
Denice Barnes