Health Minister answers Federal challenge on carpark

The cost of building the new Redland Hospital carpark has been put on the table following a challenge last week by Federal MP Andrew Laming to co-fund the project.

Bowman MP Andrew Laming called on the state government last week to go “dollar for dollar” on getting the new carpark done. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles has written to the Federal Government to claim its “commitment” to help fund the Redland Hospital multistorey carpark.

Following a “challenge” in federal parliament last week by Bowman MP Andrew Laming that he would go “dollar for dollar” with the State on getting the carpark built, Mr Miles wrote to Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt on Friday saying he looked forward to “confirmation” of the federal government’s commitment to the project.

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Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles has written to the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt outlining the costs of the Redland Hospital carpark. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Mr Miles said a $550,000 detailed business case was due for completion by the end of 2019 and would determine the “location, size, design, construction, time frame and cost”.

“Based on the cost of recently constructed multistorey hospital carparks of a comparable

size, I expect the overall cost for the carpark will be in the order of $36 million,” Mr Miles said.

“I look forward to your confirmation of the Federal Government’s commitment of $18 million for this.”

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Mr Laming said this afternoon the Federal Government was waiting for the State Government to provide a detailed breakdown of construction costs.

He said he had been advised similar hospital carparks elsewhere in Queensland had been funded for approximately $15 million.

In addition quotes obtained by two leading construction companies put the build figure at around $15 million.

“We won’t be gold-plated,” Mr Laming said.

Mr Laming also called for the State Government to “ditch” the business case as part of any deal that would get construction of the carpark underway.

Liberal Member for Bowman Andrew Laming called on the State Government last week to reveal the cost of funding a multistorey carpark at the Redland Hospital. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Mr Laming challenged the Queensland Government “to go dollar for dollar with the Federal Government” on getting the car park done.

He said last week the State Government had “fobbed” community off with a year long study into the car park needs at the hospital.

Mr Laming met with Queensland Health officials last Friday to discuss funding issues and his concerns about the Redland Hospital.

“Parking is the worst of any hospital in Queensland,” Mr Laming said last week.

“Today I am saying I will come and visit tomorrow .... and I am going to ask are you serious about carparking and will you go dollar for dollar in a solution and will you please .. not take twelve months to study parking.”

“ ... you have user paid car parks ... you know the size of the hospital and the number of treatments .. for goodness sake put a tender out for a car park and stop ordering studies.”

“... fix the problem on behalf of our seniors that have to walk so far, our nurses who walk in darkness and for the buses that don’t connect, you need a carpark and decent functional public transport.”

Questions raised about Redland Hospital funding

Minister Miles says he will “take” funding offer from the Federal Government

Mr Miles said he was delighted to hear Mr Laming address parliament with a “commitment on behalf of the Federal Government to match ‘dollar for dollar’ the Queensland Government’s investment in a new carpark at Redland Hospital”.

“Redland Hospital is the major health centre for Redland City and Brisbane’s southern bayside

suburbs, providing acute health services to residents in the catchment as well as from surrounding regions of Brisbane.”

“Like many parts of South East Queensland, the Redland local government area

is experiencing significant growth, projected to be 26% by 2036.”

Mr Miles said he welcomed Mr Laming’s recognition “that the Federal Government needs to invest more to support this busy hospital and the growing community of residents who rely on it.”