Space race: As a new petition is launched, we look back at hospital parking problems

As Member for Bathurst Paul Toole launches a petition calling for a big boost to car spots as part of the hospital's looming $200 million redevelopment, a look back shows that it's far from the first time the subject has come up.

WHEN the redeveloped Bathurst Hospital opened in 2008, the many problems with the facility included an underground car park that was too low for wheelchair-accessible taxis and community buses to enter.

Bathurst Taxi Co-op director Ray Green said at the time that wheelchair-bound patients were being forced to make their way out of the hospital to wait in the cold for their ride home.

"It's just not good enough," he said. "This is a brand new hospital. These things should have been taken into consideration."

He said he had been contacted early in January that year to take part in a tour of the hospital to determine the best pick-up and drop-off points.

"They showed us several sites, but all were unsatisfactory," he said. "The last one was the underground car park. I could see right away that we weren't going to fit."

THE new Orange Hospital opened in the south of that city three years later, in 2011, having moved from its long-term inner-city location.

Five months after its opening, there were complaints that the parking at the new site was unable to cover the demand.

Orange councillor Glenn Taylor said at the time that it was "obvious we're going to need more parking out there".

"I think we should be working with the health service to identify where land for more parking might be," he said.

"The parking issue is not going to go away, it's only going to get worse, and I think it's probably something we need to work in partnership on."

A spokesperson for the Western NSW Local Health District said Orange Health Service continued to work with staff and the public to address "the distribution of cars in parking spaces on and around the health service site".

"The completion of a recent review shows the demand for parking constantly fluctuates and several car spaces are available for use at varying times," the spokesperson said.

"Many of these spaces are on the Bloomfield mental health campus and are only a short walk to the general hospital facility."

BOTH Bathurst and Orange hospitals got new spaces in 2018.

In Orange, about 90 new spots at the rear of the hospital and 60 in an extension to the front car park opened late that year.

In Bathurst, the first sod was turned on an $800,000 car park extension on the Durham Street side of the hospital precinct in June 2018 and part of that extension opened in August.

When the car park extension was completed, it created 74 new car park spaces.

In the lead-up to the new car park being built, Bathurst Hospital's then-general manager Sue Patterson said the growth of services had "led to more staff and more demand on services and parking".

WESTERN NSW Local Health District CEO Mark Spittal said in mid-2022, at the time of the announcement of a new $200 million redevelopment of Bathurst Hospital, that "issues like parking" would be addressed as part of the project.

Almost 18 months on from that announcement, Bathurst Regional councillor Warren Aubin, a member of the Bathurst Health Services Action Group, said he had heard about plans for creating more angled parking along Howick Street to increase the spaces available.

"Big whoop," he said.

"For every three cars you get an extra space, maybe. You might get five or six [more] down Howick Street."

Both Cr Aubin and Member for Bathurst Mr Toole have said the best option would be to build a multi-level car park on the hospital precinct as part of the $200m redevelopment.

HEALTH Infrastructure provided a statement to the Western Advocate recently on the planning for car parking as part of the coming hospital redevelopment.

"The NSW Government has committed $200 million towards the Bathurst Hospital redevelopment, which will deliver enhanced access to a range of clinical services available at the hospital for patients, staff and the community, including improved parking both on campus and in the surrounding streets," a Health Infrastructure spokesperson said.

"The planning process is continuing and the number of spaces required and location of staff, visitor and patient drop-off and longer stay parking spaces will be determined through the statutory planning process, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

"Improved car parking for the redevelopment is being planned to support the new main entry on Mitre Street, the existing entry and emergency department, while also enabling the provision of greenspace for the benefit of patients, staff and the community.

"Traffic and parking design is being informed by factors including demand, clinical and workforce planning and staff and community consultation, alongside statutory planning requirements."

The spokesperson said consultation is continuing with groups including Bathurst Regional Council, Transport for NSW and Bathurst Health Service staff.