Hundreds of parking fines issued around Angliss Hospital

A COUNCIL has dished out more than one fine a day in the past year around a hospital in Melbourne’s outer east with a chronic carparking problem.

Knox Council has issued 486 parking fines around the Angliss Hospital in the past year.

KNOX Council has dished out more than one parking fine a day in the past year around the Angliss Hospital.

It comes after revelations there is such a lack staff carparking at the hospital that there is a waiting list to snag a spot.

But plans for the hospital’s $20 million redevelopment are going ahead without extra parking, despite council and community concerns.

Parking problem at Angliss Hospital set to continue as upgrade fails to provide more spots

Knox Council city development director Angelo Kourambas said they had issued 486 parking fines in the side streets around the hospital in the past year.

The council’s engineering and infrastructure director Ian Bell said there was a lack of parking at the hospital since the last expansion of the hospital several years ago.

Dr Bell said the council had put parking restrictions in surrounding streets in an effort to provide safer roads.

“The restrictions do mean that some hospital staff have to park a considerable distance from their work,” Dr Bell said.

“(We) would like to see the hospital provide more parking for staff and visitors.”

Dr Bell said parking in surrounding roads was at capacity so the only real option for increased parking was within the hospital grounds.

Dr Bell said the council had contacted Monbulk state Labor MP James Merlino about the need for more parking, and the matter had been referred to the Health Minister Jill Hennessy.

Eastern Health executive director of corporate projects and sustainability Zoltan Kokai previously told Leader the hospital was working to improve parking availability and had reduced the waiting list for the staff carpark from 200 staff in September last year to 50 at the end of June through “improved capacity management”.

Work on the hospital upgrade, which includes a new fourth floor, an intensive-care unit and 20 new beds, started in July.

Eastern Health acting executive director of corporate projects and sustainability Lisa Shaw-Stuart said “a small number” of car spaces may be affected for short periods as the works progress.

Jordy Jeffrey-Bailey, spokesman for Health Minister Jill Hennessy, said they would continue to work closely with Eastern Health to monitor carparking needs at the hospital.