Bay island fury as hospital plans threaten free parking at ferry terminal

A busy southeast ferry terminal, the gateway to some of the state’s poorest communities, will become home to one of seven new satellite hospitals.

A busy southeast ferry terminal, the gateway to some of the state’s poorest communities, will become home to one of seven new satellite hospitals.

Updated plans for a $40 million satellite hospital at 22 Meissner St, Redland Bay were unveiled in parliament yesterday.

Other sites announced yesterday were at Bribie Island, Pine Rivers, near QEII Hospital, Caboolture, Gold Coast and Ipswich.

The plans, which will form part of a massive state development project to overhaul the Weinam Creek ferry terminal at Redland Bay, were both welcomed and criticised.

Critics said the proposed site was a popular car park for island residents, who feared losing vital parking, and said the hospital would not include an emergency department or open around the clock.

Island residents said they were concerned about the loss of free carparking at the ferry terminal if the hospital were built in Meissner St.

They called for a separate docking bay to give patients from the bay islands privacy when being transferred from ferries to the new hospital.

Russell Island Development Association president Ian Olsson; Weinam Creek looking towards the ferry terminal and Macleay Island; the new Moores Rd carpark. PHOTOS: JUDITH KERR

Russell Island Development Association president Ian Olsson welcomed the hospital but said it would wreak havoc at the ferry terminal where parking was already at capacity.

A parking ticket issued at Russell Island where parking is also at a premium.

“There’s no doubt that the islands need a hospital close at hand but not at the expense of vital carparks for the island residents,” he said.

“There are 114 car spaces on the proposed site and we can’t afford to lose them as the overflow carpark is already at capacity.

“There will also be the additional cars going to the hospital taking up any space around the facility — so it will be impossible.”

On Saturday night, the “overflow” carpark on nearby Moore’s Rd, had 424 of the 501 spaces filled, which Mr Olsson said would be overflowing without the 114 spaces in Meissner St.

The Wrinam Creek ferry terminal on the left hand side of Weinam Creek and the newly built Moores Rd carpark which had 426 carparks filled of the 501 carparks on Saturday night. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

But Redlands MP Kim Richards said the Redland Bay address was ideal and would boost island health services.

She said claims by Oodergoo MP Mark Robinson for the hospital to be built in Cleveland, next to the existing Redland Hospital, were ridiculous.

“It is outrageous that the LNP’s Mark Robinson is suggesting to move the new satellite hospital to Cleveland where there is already an existing hospital and one that is currently being upgraded,” she said.

“It makes sense to provide a new satellite hospital located closer to our island communities and growing southern Redlands region within the Weinam Creek development area.”

Parking at the ferry terminal PHOTO: JUDITH KERR

Mr Robinson said the satellite hospital was originally called the Cleveland satellite hospital and slated to be built in Cleveland but was moved without explanation to the Labor-held electorate of Redlands.

“The state has still not been honest with Redlanders,” he said.

“We can only presume either someone messed up and wants to keep that secret, or the move was to shift health investment from an LNP seat where the Redland Hospital exists, to a Labor seat.”

A Redland City Council map showing it plans to build houses on the site of the state government’s proposed hospital.

News of the hospital plans come as a 10-day countdown starts for residents to lodge submissions about Redland City Council’s investment arm’s plans for the site, which is part of a state government Priority Development Area.

Residents have until September 10 to comment on the Weinam Creek plans, which also include a plaza on the waterfront, a shopping centre, offices and a boat ramp.

The council had earmarked the prime Meissner St site for terrace houses and residential development before it submitted its plans to the state government.