Council and the hospital signed a deal back in 2013 that would have seen council rangers fining hospital visitors for overstaying their welcome.

The deal came not long after council introduced its mobile parking enforcement across the central business district and emotions were already high at the thought of Big Brother watching where we parked.

So it was unsurprising that the deal with the hospital was heavily criticised by people fearing they would be fined for simply wanting to spend time with their loved ones.

As it happens, a report to councillors last month revealed the 2013 agreement was never acted upon. After both sides copped plenty of flak at the time, it would seem council’s rangers were never called to write a single fine in anger.

Now, though, council has signed a new deal with Western NSW Local Health District to monitor parking at the hospital – but this time round timed parking has not been part of the discussion.

Instead, rangers will only be called on to write tickets for people who have parked in disabled parking spots at the hospital without proper authorisation and for people who have not parked in properly designated areas.

And rangers will not be required to monitor the parking for a set number of hours per week; instead, it is likely they will only be there when called into action.

That will be a relief to people visiting the hospital who do not need to be worried about how long they have been parked – but we have to wonder just how useful the service will be.

And if council rangers are mot monitoring timed parking at the hospital, who is (if anybody)?

Parking at the hospital has been a bugbear for years and everybody must be counting the days until around 60 new parking spots are developed along the Durham Street side of the facility.

You do have to feel for hospital management, though.

On one hand they need a constant turrnover of cars through the car park to ensure there are spaces for new visitors, while on the other they don’t want to be fining people when they least need the worry. It’s a lose-lose whichever way they go.