Paid hospital parking fees have raked in almost $60m to state government coffers over four years

After health workers walked out on strike over the fees charged at hospital car parks, we can reveal how much the state government rakes in from the controversial measure.

Controversial paid hospital parking fees have raked in almost $60m to state government coffers over the past four years, official figures show.

New SA Health data shows patients and other hospital visitors were forced to spend almost $10m last year for Adelaide carparking spaces.

Officials defended the costs, which they said supported operational activities, such as car park maintenance and upgrades as well as helping fund other services.

Over the past four financial years, SA Health has earned $58m from hospital car park fees. In 2018-19, patients and staff spent $19.7m and then $18.4m the next financial year.

This dropped to $10.3m in 2020-21 during the Covid-19 pandemic, when health staff were given free carparking.

The figures – released after weeks of requests – have emerged during a bitter industrial dispute over the reintroduction of fees for healthcare staff.

Greens MLC Robert Simms wants free parking for hospital workers. Picture: Matt Loxton

Greens Upper House MP, Robert Simms, who has called on the state government to reinstate free carparking and public transport for hospital workers, labelled the revenue costs as “astronomical”.

Mr Simms said it was a “matter of priorities” and costs could be offset by other levies on big companies.

“Really, during an economic crisis, the government should be doing everything it can to make healthcare more affordable and help support patients and workers,” he said.

“With the cost of everything going up, this is huge.”

Healthcare workers, including cleaners, orderlies and catering staff, at seven Adelaide hospitals walked off the job on Friday to protest against SA Health’s plan to impose “devastating” carparking fees.

More than 100 United Workers Union members, from at the Royal Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth, Women’s and Children’s, Noarlunga and Lyell McEwin hospitals, the Repat as well as Flinders Medical Centre protested.

Health workers on strike seen out front of SA Health headquarters in the Adelaide CBD. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

But nurses declined to take part after reassurances from Premier Peter Malinauskas.

Unions are outraged after it emerged state MPs are paid an $18,038 allowance to replace several generous travel perks that were scrapped in 2016.

MPs also get free parking when attending parliament.

Health Minister Chris Picton said union negotiations were addressing “carparking fees for health workers, particularly aspart of enterprise bargaining negotiations”.

“Every dollar raised goes into providing both the carparks but also helping fund public health services,” he said.

He questioned the Greens proposal for a new tax.

Officials are “hopeful” of an appropriate outcome soon with unions.

Metro hospitals have a range of car park costs, including boom gates, pay-and-display ticketing systems and permits.

Staff are charged at a discounted rate, based on their number of hours per fortnight.

“Infrastructure upgrades over recent years means there is now more spaces for staff and the community across our public hospitals,” an SA Health spokeswoman said.

This included the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s new, larger multistorey car park, which opened in December 2019 and an extension to a Lyell McEwin Hospital facility that launched in June 2020.