Nearly two-thirds of Royal Hobart Hospital nursing staff have been late for critical patient handovers because they can’t find parking in time for their shifts, a council report has revealed.
In response and following several years of feedback, the Hobart City Council has signed off on a two-year trial to extend the operating hours of two of its multi-storey car parks.
A late-2023 survey by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation found 63% of hospital workers have missed clinical handovers due to parking hassles, while 62% reported emotional distress or even physical injury from the daily battle to find a park near the hospital.
Three-quarters of those surveyed said they fear for their personal safety when walking to and from distant parking spots, often as far away as the Domain, especially during early morning or late-night shifts.
The Argyle Street car park currently opens at 7am, the same time many hospital shifts start. It is not uncommon to see a queue forming outside before the gates open.
As part of the new trial, Argyle Street will open half an hour earlier from 6:30am every day.
Extending the hours at Centrepoint has proven to be more difficult, as the car park can only be accessed by walking through the shopping centre.
Centre management is asking for $75,500 a year to cover security and other costs associated with keeping it open an extra hour on weekdays until 7:15pm.
The council plans to fund the trial through 70 monthly parking permits priced at $359 each.
Councillors at their May meeting also agreed to explore permanent external after-hours access options at Centrepoint and have commissioned a feasibility study into turning Argyle Street into a 24/7 car park.
The three car parks generate significant revenue for council, with Argyle Street delivering $4.2 million, Centrepoint $2.2 million and Hobart Central $1.4 million in annual operating returns.
