Royal Adelaide Hospital car park fee rise defended – necessary to cover Budget and stop general public taking all the spaces

As RAH staff brace for rising parking costs at their workplace, the Health Minister says it’s still cheaper there – and any less would mean it brings in too many regular motorists.

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Health Minister Stephen Wade has defended higher hospital car park fees for staff as a way to ensure spaces are not taken by the public, as nurses warn of a huge hip-pocket hit.

The Opposition warns that modestly paid public hospital staff, including nurses and cleaners, face a new annual slug of up to $725 per year.

Announcing fee increases last month, Treasurer Rob Lucas said higher public hospital parking fees were necessary to help cover a $517 million GST drop but exemptions remained for relatives visiting long-stay patients and others.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said staff rate increases would hit “enormously hard”, as they were made to pay heavily “just for the right to get to work”.

“This hospital carparking tax is an outrageous hit on the hip pocket of some of our lower-paid workers,” he said.

The Opposition says it has obtained an SA Health circular showing a rise in the fortnightly rate for city public hospital staff, from $21.59 to $49.50, starting next year.

Registered nurse Jade Nikshin is facing a huge cost hit from State Government increases to the cost of parking at public hospitals. Picture: AAP / Mike Burton

Nurse Jade Nikshin, a mother of four who joined Labor at a media conference, said the increase compounded other cost of living rises implemented by the Government.

“As a hardworking nurse for the last 15 years, this increase in the hospital carparking is going to be extremely difficult, not only for myself but all the nurses across the board,” she said. “Getting to work safely in our vehicles and having to park is something that is essential for us to carry out our day-to-day jobs.”

Mr Wade said: “Like every household, the Government needs to manage its budget”.

“We are doing the best we can to bring the health budget under control (and) to maintain quality services.” he said.

Speaking outside the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Mr Wade stressed that staff rates were linked to Metro ticket prices and cheaper than alternative commercial parking charges.

“If we allowed public carparking and staff carparking, for the rates to continue to become unrealistically low, all we would do is suck in commercial CBD car park users into this facility,” Mr Wade said.

“We’d continue to have trouble with balancing demand and supply.

“What I would say to a staff member is that this is still half the weekly charge that a member of the public would pay.

“These are responsible measures from a Government that has a challenge ahead.”