Prince Charles Hospital intersection receives $1.5M in Brisbane City Council Budget

An intersection where a woman was fatally struck as she was leaving a public hospital will receive $1.5 million for upgrades in today’s Brisbane City Council budget.

An intersection outside the Prince Charles Hospital will receive $1.5 million in today’s Brisbane City Council Budget. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

AN INTERSECTION where a Brisbane nurse was fatally struck will receive initial funding for traffic lights in today’s Brisbane City Council Budget.

Cr Fiona Hammond (Marchant) told the Northside Chronicle the intersection of Staib Rd, Zenith Ave and Hamilton Rd was slated for $1.5 million towards an upgrade.

The intersection is at one of the secondary entrances to the Prince Charles Hospital.

“What’s so exciting about this intersection upgrade is it doesn’t just help my residents, it’s going to help the hospital staff and the community to get out (of the hospital),” she said.

In November last year, nurse Solita Honorio was critically injured in a crash at the intersection as she left the Prince Charles Hospital. She died three days later.

Solita Honorio of Fitzgibbon died after a two-vehicle accident outside The Prince Charles Hospital in November 2018.

Cr Hammond is repeating the council’s call on the State Government to commit to a 50/50 funding split for the upgrade and to provide the Prince Charles Hospital’s masterplan.

Brisbane City Council first sent a Memorandum of Understanding to the State Government to co-fund the intersection in March but Cr Hammond said they have not received a response.

“Work with us, sign the MOU to deliver this important infrastructure not only for the community but for the hospital and their staff,” she said.

“It’s about safety.”

Councillor Fiona Hammond has called on the State Government to help fund the upgrade of the intersection. Picture: Peter Cronin

She said the State Government had announced in its budget on Tuesday that it would invest $41.3 million on the site.

“If you’ve got that money to spend, come on board and help council deliver a safety improvement for the local community and hospital staff,” she said.

She said the State Government was not required to put development applications for the hospital through Brisbane City Council and did not need to invest in related infrastructure.

“If this was a private developer ... they would have had to put the lights in themselves.”

She said the council needed the masterplan to properly design the intersection, to ensure it catered to the hospital’s growth.