Goulburn Hospital construction parking sparks investigation

Cr Margaret O'Neill says workers are now parking their vehicles in Cowper Street between Goldsmith and Montague Streets, creating difficulties for residents and businesses in the area.

"Today it was absolute bedlam," she told the most recent meeting.

"Between Monday and Friday you cannot get a car park."

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She and Deputy Mayor Peter Walker said photos tendered with a report did not reflect reality. General manager Warwick Bennett reported that staff observations revealed contractors were not using the street to any great extent and businesses in the area generally had residential parking available.

"'We are aware that from time to time there may be contractors parking in this area but we have failed to observe the same level that is being experienced closer to the hospital development," he stated.

Before the project began, the council insisted that Health Infrastructure dedicate an area for contractors to park. But while some have used this site on the Mount and Fitzroy Street corner, others have parked in nearby residential streets where time zones and permits have been implemented.

In contrast, Cowper Street has an unlimited time zone.

Cr Peter Walker said he had photos to prove the parking congestion on Cowper Street. While some might be local he had also observed many work vehicles and people in fluoro vests walking from there with their toolboxes to the hospital.

"My issue is there are businesses up there, including a physiotherapist, those working with the disabled and a beauty shop, all of which deal with the elderly," he said.

"...It has to be further from there to walk to the hospital than from where they're supposed to be but they choose not to. That's their choice but as a minimum I'd like staff to monitor it."

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Cr O'Neill, the CEO of the Challenge Foundation located on the Cowper/Goldsmith Street corner, said hospital parking had spilled down as far as Bourke Street.

"You will not get a car park between the hospital and Bourke Street...I just feel we could do two-hour parking (in Cowper Street) on a temporary basis," she said.

"...It has to be resolved because it will only get worse."

Health Infrastructure had earlier undertaken to advise contractors to park at the Mount Street facility, rather in residential streets. However Cr O'Neill believed this message was not getting through to new workers.

Mr Bennett also expressed frustration last October that contractors were parking (legally) in four-hour zones around the hospital and simply moving vehicles to another spot in the same area after this time. Additional two-hour zones were implemented in response.

However the majority of the hospital precinct has two-hour limits, though staff and residential exemptions apply.

Mayor Bob Kirk said he had also taken recent photos on Cowper Street, showing congestion and work vehicles.

"I think some more thorough investigation might be warranted before we take action. I think a two-hour restriction might achieve some rotation."

But Cr Leah Ferrara questioned where it should stop.

"Do we time every street until they leave? It's getting ridiculous...We opened up a can of worms months ago and now it's continued," she said.

"I understand the parking issues but they could be locals. It's a never-ending battle."

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Councillors have asked staff to further assess the parking in Cowper Street around the hospital to establish why vehicles were there.

"For the sake of one hour of monitoring I won't have cranky locals ringing me up and saying 'can you get these people away, I'm trying to run a business here,'" Cr Peter Walker said.

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