Merri Health to lose staff and clients over council parking restrictions

A major health group operating in Melbourne’s north for more than 40 years says it will lose staff and patients and could be forced to shut centres in Coburg and Glenroy if harsh new parking restrictions are introduced.

Merri Health is up in arms about a Moreland Council plan to install two hour parking limits in certain areas that include the health facilities. Picture: George Salpigtidis

A health group operating in Melbourne’s northern suburbs faces the prospect of losing staff and having to shut facilities over council parking restrictions.

Merri Health, which has been operating in the Moreland area for more than 40 years, has six sites affected by new two-hour restrictions.

They come as part of the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy, which aims to reduce the number of cars on roads and usher people toward more sustainable transport options.

Following a council meeting on September 21 in which no resolution was reached, the Merri Health board is moving to band with other businesses and organisations affected by the restrictions.

Merri Health is up in arms about a Moreland Council plan to install two-hour parking limits in certain areas that include the health facilities. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Merri Health board chair Carlo Carli said the organisation faced the prospect of its facility in Pentridge shutting down.

“Unless there is a resolution, we will have to strongly consider the long-term viability of our Pentridge facility,” he said.

Mr Carli said the viability of the group’s Glenroy facility would also come into question, but because it was a clinical centre it would be harder to move.

He said while the other four facilities run by the group wouldn’t be shut down, the move “won’t be good” for them.

Information provided to Leader by Merri Health shows health and wellbeing services for adults and children, including podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, diabetes education and speech pathology, and aged care and disability support, including social groups, will be the services affected the most.

MORE:

MAN WHO STOLE SHOPPING CENTRE BOOM GATE THOUGHT HE WAS GOD

FIND YOUR NEW PET AT BUNNINGS ADOPTION DRIVE

$2.8M BROADMEADOWS SES CENTRE PLANS UNVEILED

Mr Carli said Merri Health would lose staff because of the new restrictions “and we will also struggle to recruit new staff”.

“A lot of the workers come from the northern suburbs and north eastern suburbs where there isn’t public transport available to get them here,” he said.

The areas around the Merri Health facilities previously had no restrictions, Mr Carli said.

Merri Health will convene a meeting with other affected businesses and groups in the area including local health, childcare, aged care, home care, educational and other service providers.

It will ask the council for a minimum of non-restricted and four-hour parking on streets around its facilities.

Merri Health provides more than 200,000 service instances to residents per year in Moreland.

Moreland Council was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.