Parking at Gosford and Wyong Hospitals will be free for patients, staff and visitors if either the Labor party or the sitting Liberal-National parties are elected to Govern on March 25.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said this is a win-win for the community, with hospital parking a contentious issue in recent years.
“It is great to be able to announce not only that parking will be free across both Gosford and Wyong Hospitals, but at regional hospitals across the state,” Crouch said.
Labor’s Shadow Minister for the Central Coast David Harris congratulated to Health Services Union NSW and local hospital staff who had fought to make parking free at our local hospitals.
Harris said “Local Labor MPs have been campaigning beside the HSU to achieve free parking.
“Labor has always argued that with poor public transport options, charging workers and visitors at Wyong is just plain wrong.
“Labor also described the parking fees as a tax on workers’ wages and penalised families visiting sick relatives, in other words, a ‘sick tax’.” he said
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the move would deliver on the Government’s commitment to make life easier and more affordable for regional households, especially when it comes to healthcare.
“People in regional communities often travel longer distances as part of everyday life including when they need to visit a hospital,” he said.
“The last thing patients, their loved ones and staff need is to carry the extra burden of forking out money to park when they arrive – especially when they don’t pay for parking elsewhere in that community.”
Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said while it’s commonplace for Sydney residents to pay for parking, it’s a different story in regional NSW.
“While we are investing in more and more public transport in our regions, driving is often the only option for many when it comes to visiting our nearest and dearest in hospital,” she said.
“That’s why the Government has announced a number of sensible, targeted initiatives that ease the specific cost of living pressures faced by people in rural and regional NSW.”
Verified Sources: Media release, Mar 1, 2023 Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch – Media Statement David Harris MP, Shadow Minister for the Central Coast