Mayor Bob Kirk said he was trying to arrange a meeting with Goulburn MP Pru Goward to resolve an apparent backflip by Health infrastructure NSW over the parking.

Frustration boiled over at Tuesday night’s council meeting at which it was revealed Health Infrastructure (HI) was now planning to establish a temporary construction car park on “State owned land in the vicinity.”

“This option will mitigate the construction related personnel parking on adjoining streets and is proposed to be in place for the duration of the project,” its letter received on Tuesday stated.

General manager Warwick Bennett said he could only presume this referred to a vacant block of land on the corner of Deccan and Mount Streets. The council had initially suggested this site to HI.

“I find it astonishing that this land is now deemed acceptable for parking purposes when right through the discussions we’ve had with them they’ve said it was dangerous because of pedestrians crossing State roads and the very busy nature of that roundabout,” he said.

“Now all of a sudden it is safe. I believe the community deserves to know what management plan will be in place to ensure that children attending Goulburn High School will be safe, how it relates to school bus movements, what is happening with staff, patient and visitor parking at the hospital and how it works in with construction parking. It is going to make this area very confused.”  

He branded the response “insulting” to the community who he said deserved to know more.

The GM and Cr Kirk were particularly angry that a previous negotiations on timed and 90-degree parking and one-way streets to manage construction had been “wiped from the face of the earth.”

The council response to these solutions at its August 7 meeting was sent to HI. The organisation had not replied, prompting Mr Bennett to chase a response, which came via email on Tuesday. It did not please the mayor.

“In my view it shows a total lack of respect,” he said.

The HI letter stated that given the temporary car park on State land, “the majority of matters raised through the motion that Council passed on August 7 were not warranted.”

“In addition, the project cannot afford what has been proposed without impacting on the clinical services which are committed to be delivered. Ongoing operation costs of the council’s preferred parking scheme are not considered a matter for NSW Health,” the advice read.

This sentence referred to the council’s request for a $50,000 contribution from the State Government to fund parking exemption certificates for residents in the parking restricted areas and “bad debts” from the scheme.

Mr Bennett said it was very unclear from the response which aspects of the council’s broad ranging August motion that HI found unacceptable. At that time, councillors gave in-principle support to only some of the suggested parking arrangements and urged “meaningful public consultation” on any changes, including with the high school and bus companies. The response was based on HI’s plans at that stage to close a section of Faithfull Street, adjoining the hospital, for construction traffic.

“To now say that they will manage the parking on some unspecified State Government land is a little bit insulting to this community and we deserve to know more,” he told the meeting.

Mr Bennett said it was also highly concerning that construction traffic would be turning in and out of the hospital on streets where cars were parked.

On Tuesday, councillors unanimously decided to seek an urgent meeting with the authority to clarify the parking arrangements.

They also requested that HI prepare a pedestrian traffic management plan, showing how movements from the proposed construction car park would be managed. This should consider school and existing traffic on Deccan, Fitzroy and Goldsmith Streets.

In addition, the council wants HI to prepare a dilapidation report on roads around the hospital which could be impacted by construction vehicles.

Cr Kirk is taking the matter a step further. On Wednesday he contacted Ms Goward’s office for a meeting.

“I want to ensure she’s aware of the plans during construction and to see if we can get a better solution,” he said.

“...There has been no consideration of how this impacts on the residential community.”

He told The Post it was fanciful to believe construction vehicles wouldn’t park on the streets, impacting on spaces. Cr Kirk said it was incumbent on all levels of government to work together. If the situation were reversed, there was “no way” the council would act in the same manner.

Meantime, the council is still pushing the State to construct a multi-storey car park for the hospital as part of stage two. In late August the government announced $30 million for an 800-space car park at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, following community concerns. 

Ms Goward has not ruled out additional parking if HI judged it necessary in future stages.

A spokesperson for HI confirmed that discussions were underway to use State land for temporary parking during construction.

This will relieve any potential pressure on parking adjacent to the hospital for patients and visitors,” she said in a statement.

“The site will be confirmed once an agreement to occupy the land has been made. A traffic management plan will be implemented as part of the main contractor engagement.”

She said HI and the Southern NSW Local Health District would follow all planning requirements, including consultation for construction works and associated parking. 

“We will continue to work with the council and the local community as the project progresses. Any future capital works at Goulburn Hospital will consider the impact on car parking and factor in additional capacity as required,” she said.

“We look forward to working with the community on the $120 million NSW Government project to deliver a fit-for-purpose facility that will continue to deliver high-quality healthcare for the Goulburn region into the future.”