NSW hospitals rake in record carparking profits as revenue surges from $30m to $51m in one year

NSW hospitals are gouging record multimillion-dollar profits from patients and their families with parking fees as high as $35 a day. See the most expensive regions for parking.

Public hospitals are raking in record profits from paid carparking fees with new figures revealing a huge surge in the amount of cash sick patients and their families are handing over to park at health facilities.

NSW Health is facing renewed calls to ease the skyrocketing cost of parking at hospitals after financial reports showed revenue from hospital carparking surged from $30.2m to $51.7m over the last two years.

The Western Sydney Health District was the state’s parking revenue hotspot with $11m netted from paid parking fees during the 2024 financial year – up from $8.3m in the previous 12 month period.

This was followed by the South Western Sydney Health District where hospital parking generated $10.9m in revenue, up from $7.1m in 2023.

The South Eastern Sydney Health District recorded the largest jump in parking revenue with visitors forking out $9.3m in 2024 – more than triple the $3m figure recorded in 2023.

Parking revenue is surging at NSW public hospitals.

Regional NSW health districts also saw huge increases in parking revenue including Central Coast Health District, soaring from $1.3m in 2023 to $2.3m in 2024.

Health support groups including the Leukaemia Foundation have united in calls for NSW Health to reduce the parking burden, described the slug on sick people as “heartless”.

Leukaemia Foundation’s head of research Bill Stavreski said parking fees compounded out-of-pocket costs for people battling cancer who could face costs of more than $5000 a year.

Some hospitals charge more than $35 a day for daily parking.

“There are patients who have had to sell assets or seek loans off their family and friends just to be able to afford their treatment and turning around and hitting them with parking fees just adds to the challenge,” she said.

“Going to a hospital isn’t a luxury – it’s not like going to a movie or a show. For many patients and their family members they have no other choice but to use the hospital carparks.”

Katrina Rea, a cancer patient who drives from her home in Canberra to Royal North Shore Hospital for specialist treatment, described the daily $35.40 hospital parking fees as exorbitant.

Katrina Rae pictured outside Royal North Shore Hospital.

“During my treatment I’ve needed 30 days in hospital and with family there the amount of money we’ve had to pay for parking really add up,” she said.

“It’s taking away from people who are already vulnerable.

“When you’re immunocompromised, using alternative forms of travel such as public transport to access hospitals isn’t an option.”

Costly parking fees are also impacting hospital staff including Concord Hospital nurse Kimberly Balmforth – a branch member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association – who forks out $11.40 a day to park at work.

Nurse Kimberly Balmforth from Concord Hospital. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“During a week I pay more than $60 on top of the tolls just drive to work and for nurses who don’t get paid that well the cost is ridiculous,” she said.

“We work really hard and long hours and having to pay for parking just adds to the cost of living stress.”

NSW Health in a statement said the increase in parking revenue was partly due to reintroduction of staff carparking fees following their temporary suspension during Covid.

A spokesman said revenue raised from carparking fees covered capital expense of the car park as well as the costs of maintenance and operations.

“NSW Health and local health districts do their best to strike a fair and reasonable balance between the costs of parking and the needs of patients, visitors and staff,” he said.

“Additionally, free parking is available to staff, patients and visitors at NSW Health car parks in regional areas.”

Daily parking rates at Nepean Hospital are more than $20.

Parking fees vary from hospital to hospital with visitors to Prince of Wales Hospital and the Sydney Children’s Hospital slugged $11.60 per hour and up to $35 a day.

Westmead Hospital charges $23.30 per day, St George Hospital charges $38, Nepean Hospital charges $23.30 and Royal North Shore charges $35.40.

The Mid North Coast Local Health District was one of a handful of health districts to record a decline with revenue falling from $389,000 to $59,000 from 2023 to 2024. Murrumbidgee also declined from $121,000 to $47,000.

In the Hunter New England Health District, parking revenue was up from $2.6m to $3.9m with a similar jump also recorded in the Illawarra with revenue rising from $1m to $1.94m.

Originally published as NSW hospitals rake in record carparking profits as revenue surges from $30m to $51m in one year