NSW Nationals Member for Bathurst Paul Toole has launched a petition calling on the NSW Government and NSW Health to include additional carparking in the redevelopment of Bathurst Health Service.
Mr Toole said as the city of Bathurst grows, it has become increasingly harder to get a car park in or near the Bathurst Health Service. He said carparking continues to be an issue for visitors, patients, and staff who are forced to park many blocks away and walk to the hospital.
Health services will be expanded under a $200 million redevelopment, but Mr Toole said draft designs released this month reveal no serious consideration has been made to addressing the carparking situation. In fact, one of the main carparking areas joining the Howick Street entrance to Mitre Street will be removed and transformed into a 'community green space.'
"Carparking needs to be included in this redevelopment as a top priority as we will see more services, more staff, more clinicians and more visitors to the hospital," Mr Toole said.
"At some point or another everyone in this community will need to access the hospital and its services, and we want to ensure when that time comes there will be an easily accessible way to do so.
"At the moment we are seeing elderly people with their oxygen tanks or walkers, young people on crutches and new mums lugging their new-borns up hills and walking blocks away to reach their vehicles after receiving treatment.
"Residents are also being impacted by having cars parked in their driveways. This is not good enough."
Mr Toole said the petition has been launched with a call for the NSW Labor Government and NSW Health not to short change the community of Bathurst and surrounding areas and provide additional carparking that will meet the needs of the community as part of the redevelopment.
To sign the petition and share your stories please head to – https://www.paultoolemp.com.au/bathurst-hospital-carpark
