CHANGES TO TCH PARKING AS ADULT MENTAL HEALTH INPATIENT UNIT PROJECT COMMENCES

ACT Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher MLA, said today that the new Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit had moved a step closer with ACT Health lodging the development application for the new facility.

Construction is expected to begin by the middle of the year, resulting in temporary changes to parking arrangements on and around the Canberra Hospital campus.

"The new 1880 space multi-storey car park at the Canberra Hospital is well on track. Demolition of the former three-storey car park structure has now been completed, allowing the construction phase to being on the new multi-storey car park," Ms Gallagher said.

"However, until the new car park is completed later this year, ACT Health will need to make some changes to car parking arrangements at the Canberra Hospital to accommodate the start of construction of the new mental health unit.

"The changes are necessary because the Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit will be constructed on the site of the current ground-level car park on the southern end of the hospital campus. When construction begins, new temporary parking arrangements will be put in place to accommodate car parking demand until the end of 2010."

The Minister acknowledged that the proposed new temporary parking arrangements may cause some short-term inconvenience for residents of Garran and East Phillip, however, she said ACT Health was working hard to minimise any disruptions.

"The temporary arrangements involve maintaining current one-hour and disability parking areas close to main hospital buildings; converting the Yamba Drive South car park from staff parking to public parking; and making use of expanded temporary on-street parking in surrounding suburbs for staff.

"These arrangements allow us to retain the car parks closest to the hospital for patient and visitor parking while also having the capacity to meet staff parking needs within 600 metres of the Canberra Hospital," Ms Gallagher said.

On-street parking is already permitted in most of the streets near to the hospital with some of the streets already signposted as two hour parking. Half hour parking is provided in Gilmore Crescent and is primarily used by patients and visitors.

ACT Health is considering changing the majority of the existing 2 hour parking to all day parking for those hospital staff who work standard business hours from Monday to Friday. In most cases on-street parking will be available on one side of the street only. Streets that are currently designated as "no parking" will remain as "no parking".

Canberra Hospital staff and local residents in streets surrounding the hospital will be consulted on the proposal with information, including a map of the proposed locations, to be made available.

"Ideas and input from local residents are most welcome and we are calling for their support for the temporary arrangements to allow much needed new health facilities to progress more quickly," Ms Gallagher said.

"ACT Health will also be implementing programs to encourage staff to consider alternative forms of transport to and from work to reduce the need for the additional temporary parking. More bicycle storage facilities are being introduced as well as a car pooling system.

"Once the new multi-storey car park is operational later this year, the temporary all day on-street parking, expected to be in place for just over six months, will revert back to previous time restrictions."

Comments about the proposal can be emailed to: yourhealthourpriority@act.gov.au or mailed to Redevelopment Unit, PO Box 11, Woden ACT 2606 before 5pm Friday, 12 March 2010.

A community drop-in session will be held at the Canberra Hospital on Thursday 25 February between 6:15 and 8:30pm in the Auditorium Foyer.

The development application for the new mental health facility has been lodged with the ACT Planning and Land Authority and is now open to public comment.

Media Contact:

Kathryn Roberts
6205 0242
0402 399 907
kathryn.roberts@act.gov.au