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Opposition Leader Matthew Guy promises cheaper hospital parking

HUNDREDS of thousands of hospital patients and their carers will be able to access cheaper car parking rates under a Coalition plan. HERE’S HOW IT WILL WORK

HUNDREDS of thousands of hospital patients and their carers will be able to access cheaper car parking rates under a Coalition plan to stop hospitals gouging huge parking profits.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has vowed to deliver $40 million over four years to hospitals to subsidise an extra 125,000 car parks every year.

Maximum daily fees — which are currently as high as $35 a day at the Royal Melbourne — will also be frozen for two years.

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It comes after the Herald Sun revealed nine of Melbourne’s biggest health services raked in a combined $45 million profit from paid car parking last year.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has vowed to make hospital parking more affordable. AAP Image/James Ross
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has vowed to make hospital parking more affordable. AAP Image/James Ross

Mr Guy visited the Austin Hospital this morning to announce the reforms, which he said would deliver “small but significant savings for patients and families who need it most during the toughest times”.

The Coalition is promising that, if elected, it would standardise and broaden the eligibility standards for concession parking discounts at hospitals.

It would mean pensioners would now be eligible for cheaper rates, along with carers, and hospitals would also be made to consider helping individual patients who do not meet the criteria but are facing financial hardship.

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Hospitals will also be forced to improve their disclosure of concession offers at car parks and online.

“Patients and families have enough to worry about without the added stress of how they can afford hundreds of dollars a week on parking,” Mr Guy said.

The Herald Sun recently revealed that combined parking profits for nine of the city’s biggest health services — including The Alfred, St Vincent’s and the Royal Melbourne — had surged almost 25 per cent since 2015.

The profit increase came despite the state government ordering hospitals to offer “fairer” fees.

tom.minear@news.com.au

@tminear

LABOR TO SCRAP BOAT PARKING FEES

LABOR has floated free boat ramp parking and launching to lure boaters’ votes this state election.

Premier Daniel Andrews today promised to scrap the fees and provide $4 million annually to compensate councils and committees of management.

He said it would save boaters with an annual parking permit as much as $315 a year.

“Ultimately this is about getting kids off their screens and out fishing with mum and dad, with their mates,” Mr Andrews said.

“This is about getting rid of these fees and putting that money back in the pockets of rec fishers and boat owners, who I’m confident will buy new gear or perhaps go out more often.”

The government’s promised $27 million package, if re-elected on November 24, would ban commercial fishing on Gippsland Lakes, and buy back those licences.

Catherine Andrews and Premier Daniel Andrews go fishing at Mordialloc Pier. AAP Image/James Ross
Catherine Andrews and Premier Daniel Andrews go fishing at Mordialloc Pier. AAP Image/James Ross

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It would also include a Better Boating Fund to funnel all licencing and registration fees into boating infrastructure and safety programs.

Just $3 million of the $27 million currently collected is spent on boating infrastructure.

The opposition made a similar commitment in September, where leader Matthew Guy vowed to give “a fair go to boaties”.

Ports Minister Luke Donnellan’s office was critical of Mr Guy’s announcement at the time, saying it ignored the Marine Safety Act that allowed licencing and registration fees to be spent on boat safety initiatives.

Asked today whether Labor’s fund would continue boat safety programs, Mr Donnellan said: “Yes, it will be for facilities and safety.

“The Better Boating Fund will be for maintenance, upgrading piers … but also funding for safety for boating.

“We need to ensure that people are boating safely, that’s a pretty basic premise.”

Hoping to hook their votes, both major parties visited marginal sandbelt seats to pitch to boaters — Labor in Mordialloc and the Coalition in the neighbouring electorate of Carrum.

Premier Daniel Andrews will now head from the marginal southeastern seat to Ripon, northwest of Melbourne.

The seat is the Liberal’s most marginal, held by Louise Staley by just 0.8 per cent.

monique.hore@news.com.au

@moniquehore

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/state-election/opposition-leader-matthew-guy-promises-cheaper-hospital-parking/news-story/9d9ea58a1195e69facdbf7cb2b1368e3