Ringwood East’s Maroondah Hospital to get multi-deck carpark with more than 500 spaces by end of 2019

PARKING relief is finally coming to Maroondah Hospital with a new multi-level carpark. But it is unclear if the State Government is stumping up any cash for the project.

Maroondah Hospital is set to get a 500-space multi-level carpark, ending a decade of parking chaos and safety fears in surrounding streets. Picture: STUART MILLIGAN.

PARKING relief is coming to Maroondah Hospital with more than 500 new spots to be created in a new multi-level carpark.

But it is unclear if the State Government is stumping up any cash for the project.

The new carpark will be built on the site of the existing staff carpark on Grey St, opposite the hospital’s new Breast and Cancer Centre in Ringwood East.

It has been long desired by visitors, residents and authorities to ease more than a decade of parking chaos around the hospital, along with security concerns from nurses accessing their cars at night.

NURSES AT MAROONDAH HOSPITAL CONCERNED OVER PARKING AT NIGHT

CROYDON AND RINGWOOD MPS CALL FOR ACTION TO FIX MAROONDAH HOSPITAL PARKING CRISIS

THE BREAST AND CANCER CENTRE WILL OPEN IN RINGWOOD EAST NEXT WEEK

Maroondah Leader first heard of the latest carpark plans from hospital staff in March.

Eastern Metropolitan Region state Labor MP Shaun Leane posted on his Facebook page on June 1, saying the government was “assisting” Eastern Health with the project.

Eastern Health executive director of capital projects Zoltan Kokai said the organisation had received “initial State Government endorsement” to build the new carpark.

“The support, coupled with previously announced Federal Government funding, will provide a welcome boost to carparking availability in the hospital precinct,” Mr Kokai said.

Deakin federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar provided $2 million funding for the project last year, and said Mr Leane’s post was “cheeky”.

“It’s cheeky of him to take the credit when they (the State Government) haven’t provided any grants funding for the project,” Mr Sukkar said.

Ringwood state Liberal MP Dee Ryall said she understood Eastern Health has had to borrow millions of dollars from the Government and will have to pay interest on their borrowings.

“The Andrews Government’s boasting of delivering the new carpark development should be taken as the hoax it is,” Ms Ryall said.

It has been standard practice for State Governments to make Melbourne health providers take out loans from Treasury Corporation Victoria for multi-deck carparks.

Mr Leane’s office diverted questions from Maroondah Leader last week to Health Minister Jill Hennessy.

Ms Hennessy’s spokeswoman Matilda Edwards Jézéquel said the Government was “working with Eastern Health on a funding arrangement that will ensure this project gets off the ground”.

Construction on the carpark is set to begin later this year and completed by late 2019.