Lismore mayor’s bid to fix hospital parking

Lismore’s newly-elected mayor Isaac Smith is hoping to honour an election promise by fixing the paid parking fiasco around Lismore Base Hospital.

In a mayoral minute to be considered tomorrow evening, Cr Smith has proposed a series of steps to improve the parking situation, with dropping the price of all day parking in Dalziel Street from $5 to $2 at the top of the list.

The proposal, if supported, would be advertised for 28 days while the council consults with NSW Health and the Roads and Maritime Service over its intention.

Cr Smith also wants an undertaking from NSW Health that they will ‘provide council with their on-site parking occupancy rates and take appropriate steps including greater promotion of parking options such as concession parking to achieve >80% occupancy of their available on-site parking between the hours of 8am and 3pm by 1 December 2016’.

He also wants advice from the RMS on the potential implications of changing the mix of paid parking in Hunter Street to provide an all day parking option, reducing the paid parking fees in Uralba Street, and extending paid parking into weekend periods.

The Lismore Base Hospital Nurses and Midwives Association, which has campaigned heavily against paid parking around the hospital precinct, said the mayoral minute went some way towards fixing the problem.

‘The mayoral minute for the council meeting this Wednesday 19th is a start towards fixing the parking but as per the pledge needs to reduce the majority of parking in the LBH precinct to $2 a day to provide any real benefit to LBH staff or residents,’ a spokesperson said in a Facebook post to members.

‘It is also very clear that the amount of two hour time limited free parking is not needed.

‘As per the pledge more consultation with the NSWNMA and the HSU is needed to get this mess fixed ASAP or it will continue as the absolute joke it is at present.’