Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast) [11.29 a.m.]: I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the widespread community concern in the Shoalhaven regarding the critical lack of public car parking at Shoalhaven Hospital and the shortfall of at least 93 spaces;

(2) condemns the Government for its inability to co-operate with the Shoalhaven City Council, which has previously offered its assistance to the Government to provide increased car spaces at the Shoalhaven Hospital; and

(3) calls on the Government to urgently undertake the provision of increased car parking at Shoalhaven Hospital.

I gave notice of this motion on 3 March 2009. It refers to 93 spaces, which was the estimate of the required number of spaces at that time. However, the required number of spaces is now in excess of 100. Although I gave notice of this motion almost a year ago, the issue of the inadequacy of car parking at Shoalhaven hospital has remained unresolved for the people of the Shoalhaven for many years. In fact, the issue dates back to when the development application was submitted in 1991. To date there has been very little, if any, resolution to the shortfall of at least 93 car spaces at the hospital.

I am pleased to summarise the car parking issue at the hospital today. Despite my continuous correspondence over a number of years, the Shoalhaven City Council's efforts to liaise with the Department of Health, the Government and various health Ministers, and the dilemma faced by residents, nurses and doctors due to a serious lack of car spaces, the issue has been totally ignored by the Government, including the member for Kiama, who disappointingly is absent from the House. I hope he will enter the Chamber to support his community because the Shoalhaven hospital delivers services for his constituents. I look forward to his contribution to the debate.

In the brief time available for my speech, I will outline the frustrating battle between the community, which is supported by Shoalhaven City Council, and the New South Wales State Government relating to the provision of adequate car parking at Shoalhaven hospital. Planning for the redevelopment of the hospital began in 1997 when a Liberal Party member, Eric Ellis, represented the South Coast in this House. Despite other people taking credit for the redevelopment, it was Eric Ellis who instigated planning for the hospital. The development application was submitted in 2001. At that time, Shoalhaven hospital's professional staff calculated that there would be a need for an additional 45 spaces as a result of the redevelopment, and the demand increased by about seven spaces a year. In 2008 the requirement reached approximately 93 spaces, but now in 2010 the projected requirement is more than 100 spaces. Engineering, planning and development services staff of the Shoalhaven City Council made the calculations. It is not a case of me just making up a figure.

Council staff entered into good faith discussions with the Government and the area health service. Detailed plans were presented by council staff of how the spaces could be provided, and thus began protracted discussions over time, which included the Government claiming that car parking on its site should be a responsibility that is shared with local government. That was a totally ridiculous suggestion. Throughout the entire time, the Government has refused to work with the Shoalhaven City Council towards achieving a realistic resolution of the car parking shortage.

In 2004 the upgraded hospital was opened by the then Minister for Health, Morris Iemma. In 2006 I continued my letter-writing campaign to the Government regarding car parking at the hospital. The response always was that a review was being undertaken and that there would be resolution of the issue to alleviate the car parking shortage. In 2007 I asked a question of the Minister for Health, whose response again was that a review to explore options was underway. In May 2007 I spoke in this place about hospital car parking as a result of receiving continuous representations from nurses, health workers, patients and visitors regarding the critical shortage of car parking.

There were stories of nurses continually driving around the block and the district, trying to find a space in residential streets where there were no car parking spaces, and then late at night having to walk approximately three kilometres from the hospital to where they had parked their car. They were concerned about their safety. I again wrote to the Minister for Health about the occupational health and safety issue facing workers at the hospital. The response I received was that the nurses could contact a security officer who would escort them to their car. That was the solution offered by the former Minister for Health to nurses who were concerned about their safety when leaving work late at night, in contradiction of repeated previous responses that the Government was undertaking a review and working with the Shoalhaven City Council.

In September 2007 the council again wrote to another former Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, and presented a number of options prepared by the council's design staff. The council was endeavouring to assist the Government to resolve the issue, realising that this was still a very serious concern to the community. Part of the letter from the Shoalhaven City Council states, " the shortage in car parking is of major concern to residents of the Shoalhaven, and your assistance in this matter is appreciated". The council received no assistance. The council offered tangible, commonsense solutions, but the Government took no action. On 4 March last year I spoke about the problems associated with the hospital in this House. I referred to a little girl, who is suffering from leukaemia, whose parents had to take her to the hospital and how they tried to find a car parking space on a very rainy day. The letter states:

I am disappointed that I had to make my daughter, who is rather ill, walk thru rain and mud just to get to the door. Yes, I could have left her at the door and gone and parked but I don't think that is so safe and would rather not do that. We NEED more parking yesterday not tomorrow.

The Hon. Don Harwin directed a question on this issue to the then Minister for Health, the Hon. John Della Bosca, and all he could say was that the concentration and focus should be on hospital resources and the provision of health care rather than the provision of car parking. Despite the Government continuing to claim that a review was underway, the then Minister for Health said that health services are more important than car parking. The implication is that we should ignore what had been said previously. That was a very disappointing response from the former Minister for Health. Other questions were directed to him, but he offered very few assurances apart from the fact that there were continuing negotiations with the Shoalhaven City Council.

Although there were continuing negotiations and discussions, nothing ever eventuated. To this day a minimal effort has been made by the Government to increase the number of car parking spaces available at the Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. We estimate that we are approximately 90 spaces short of the required number. In October 2009 I directed a question to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Health, but the response referred to the provision of layback kerbing to improve access to parking in an area adjacent to the hospital. From memory, that provided an additional three or four parking spaces.

In November 2009 I responded on the radio and through other media to people who had written to me expressing concerns about what had been said and what had been, or had not been, done by the Government. The media have continued their campaign of asking the Government what is its solution to the car parking problem. It is not a matter of providing three or four spaces here or there, or another five or six somewhere else: it is about a shortage of more than 100 spaces that has resulted from the redevelopment of the hospital. When I was a member of the council, the question was put to the area health representative and the response was, "What do you want—a hospital or a car park?" It is blatantly irresponsible for a Government to respond in such a manner.

If a private developer built a private hospital in the Shoalhaven, the car parking would be required up front. People deserve to be able to find a space in which to park, especially if they are visitors, patients, parents of sick children, or nurses, doctors or health clinicians. They do not deserve to continuously drive around in nearby streets in their attempt to find a car parking space. I have correspondence between the Shoalhaven City Council and the Government that includes three letters dating back to 2006, 15 letters from 2007, 10 letters from 2008 and in 2009 the letter writing continued. The Government's handling of this issue has been a litany of disasters. The only response from the Government has been that a review is underway or that it is working with the council.

In conclusion, at one stage the council offered to provide funding so that the work could be completed, but the Government rejected that. There were negotiations and good-faith discussions with the council, but the Government could not even accept the generous offer from Shoalhaven City Council. I am fed up and utterly tired of talking about this issue in this place and in public. I call on the Government to give us the results of whatever review it has undertaken and look seriously at the provision of car parking for Shoalhaven hospital, which is a serious issue.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD (Macquarie Fields—Parliamentary Secretary) [11.39 a.m.]: I thank the member for South Coast for raising this important matter because ensuring that patients and visitors have access to adequate car parking at our health care facilities is a priority for the New South Wales Government. Before I move on to parking, however, I remind members of the significant financial and capital investment that this Government has made in the hospitals and community health services in the south-east and in the Illawarra. I first visited Shoalhaven hospital 28 years ago. Would anybody swap what was there then for what is there now? It is a magnificent new facility. Members opposite continue to talk down the New South Wales public health system. They do their best to create discontentment with the facilities provided by the Government.

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: I ask the member for Macquarie Fields to withdraw that comment, which is a slur on members on this side of the House.

ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Ms Alison Megarrity): Order! I ask the member for Macquarie Fields to consider either withdrawing his comment or restating it another way.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD: I will not withdraw the comment. However, I point out that members opposite continue to cause public disquiet about the state of the New South Wales health system.

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: The member for Macquarie Fields has changed the wording of his comment. However, I ask him to withdraw his comment that Opposition members are attacking at a personal level the wonderful nurses and doctors who work in our health system. I would like that statement to be withdrawn from the parliamentary record. Obviously, I am happy for the member to talk about our concerns about the health system, but I would like him to withdraw that comment.

ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Ms Alison Megarrity): Order! The remark of the member for Macquarie Fields related to the health system, not to doctors and nurses. I asked him to consider withdrawing his comment and he chose not to do so.

Mr David Harris: To the point of order: The standing orders provide that a member may not comment about individuals but may comment about a group of individuals.

ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Ms Alison Megarrity): Order! The member for Macquarie Fields referred to the health system.

Mr David Harris: That is right, yes.

ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Ms Alison Megarrity): Order! The member for Macquarie Fields has the call.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD: I did not mention one doctor or one nurse; I referred to the behaviour of members opposite, which is within the leave of the debate. I first visited Shoalhaven hospital 28 years ago. Members opposite conveniently forget the infrastructure that the Labor Government has built in the Shoalhaven area. They forget that a child born in 2007 in New South Wales has the third-longest life expectancy in the world. There is record health investment, and we have one of the world's great health systems. Last week's New England Journal of Medicine held up the Australian health system as one to be copied. Yet we have not heard a word about that from members opposite.

In 2009-10 we are investing more than ever before. A total of $1.88 billion has been allocated to the South Eastern Sydney-Illawarra Area Health Service, which includes Shoalhaven hospital. This budget represents an increase of $87.5 million more than last year's budget, and reinforces our commitment to providing high-quality services for the people of this region. Yet what do we get from members opposite? We get a $300 million management restructure on an eight-page document that has not been updated for six months and that has the comments of four of 110,000 health workers! I am aware that there have been ongoing discussions relating to parking availability at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. The South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service is fully aware of the issues and has been working on finding solutions, both immediately and in the longer term.

We understand that parking is an important issue for members of the community, and I am sure members can appreciate that hospitals are extremely busy places. I have visited Shoalhaven hospital and I must admit that it is a very busy hospital that does a wonderful job for the community. I am advised that discussions between the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service and Shoalhaven City Council are ongoing. I understand that the provision of layback curbing has improved access to parking in an area adjacent to the hospital. Parking outside the renal unit—the renal unit built by our Government—has been quarantined for the use of renal patients only, and this should reduce unnecessary walking for patients who attend that facility.

At Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, as at many New South Wales health facilities, illegal parking causes great inconvenience to patients and staff. Parking spaces in the main hospital car park are also being reviewed to ensure that they are not obstructed and can be fully utilised. We continue to work with all stakeholders to develop and implement feasible options to increase the supply of car parking at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. The provision of additional car parking at Shoalhaven hospital remains on the health service's capital plan and will continue to be considered in line with other budgetary requirements and priorities within that plan. This is a time of great difficulty for any public health system in the world. We deliver one of the world's great public health systems, and members opposite should recognise that.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega) [11.46 a.m.]: What the member for Macquarie Fields has spelt out is great. It is terrific to talk about how wonderful the Government is, but let us look at what is happening on the ground. The reality is that the Government built a hospital in Shoalhaven without adequate car parking. People in the Bega and Kiama electorates depend on Shoalhaven hospital. In particular, people in the Bega electorate who attend Batemans Bay hospital or Moruya hospital are often referred to Shoalhaven hospital because the State Labor Government has not seen fit to provide the necessary resources. What is bewildering about this debate is that it comes down to good planning and management. Building this hospital without the necessary car parks speaks volumes about the state of play of the New South Wales Labor Government.

The member for Macquarie Fields did not indicate what will be done to rectify this problem. Not 90 but more than 100 car spaces are required at Shoalhaven hospital. Potentially, 110 or 120 new car park spaces are required at Shoalhaven to service not only the people of Shoalhaven but, as I said, the people of the Bega and Kiama electorates as well. It is a great shame that the member for Kiama is not here to represent his constituents. It is disgraceful but it is typical of the member, who at the moment is more concerned about retaining his job than anyone else's job. It is bewildering to think that the member would not see fit to participate in this debate, particularly in light of the concerns raised not only by the member for South Coast but also by Shoalhaven City Council, which is trying to address this problem.

The lack of parking means that nurses must walk great distances to get to work, and in some instances at night. That creates security issues that also need to be addressed, but the member for Macquarie Fields did not see fit to address that matter in his contribution. In some instances people have been denied access to the hospital's emergency department because they have parked their car in the wrong spot. The lack of car parking at Shoalhaven hospital has created public and patient safety issues. We do not want people attending the hospital's emergency department to be forced to park in nearby streets because of a lack of car parking facilities. One would think the Labor Government had the decency and common sense to ensure that the car parks were built in the first place.

Not only is the provision of car parking at regional hospitals such as the Shoalhaven a problem but the public transport systems around them is also a problem. The planning for Shoalhaven hospital commenced many years ago when the area was represented by a Liberal Party member of Parliament, despite the Australian Labor Party wanting to attribute it to Wayne Smith, who was probably the worst member the State seat of South Coast has ever had. This week the Government was exposed for wasting $331 million of the State's finances on a metro system that will not go ahead. That money could have been used to build more than 120 car parks at Shoalhaven hospital or a number of regional based hospitals that are required in New South Wales, including the south-east regional base hospital to be located in Bega.

This Government is punch drunk on wasting money. For a long time the member for South Coast has fought hard to rectify a problem that should have been a given. One would think that in this State the Government would have the good sense to build the necessary car parks around a hospital. It comes as no surprise that that has not happened with this Government. It is absurd that my constituents have to travel hundreds of kilometres to access medical services at Shoalhaven hospital and then cannot find a car parking space. The Government stands condemned and should be embarrassed. The member for Macquarie Fields should march out of this place and fix the car parking problems caused by his bureaucracy. This issue is an absolute doozy and an embarrassment to the Government.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [11.51 a.m.]: I support the motion moved by the member for South Coast and congratulate her for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. I also support the member for Bega, who highlighted the concern of car parking at regional hospitals. I have a lot of respect for the member for Macquarie Fields, but I was disappointed that he condemned the Opposition for raising an issue that applies to nearly every hospital in this State. I stand to be corrected, but two years ago a motion was moved by the hospital auxiliary association at its annual meeting in relation to car parking at hospitals in New South Wales—the Country Women's Association may have moved it. The problem as highlighted by the member for South Coast is also a problem at other hospitals, for example, Lismore.

Mr Gerard Martin: Not at Bathurst.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: It may not be at Bathurst.

Dr Andrew McDonald: It is not at Campbelltown.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: The member for Macquarie Fields is not listening. If he does not notice the problem of car parking at Lismore hospital he must go to the back of the hospital and not have to find a parking space—unlike the general public. When visitors to Lismore hospital find a space they usually have to walk up a big hill—after which they could end up in hospital as a patient themselves!

Dr Andrew McDonald: I drive myself. You know that. I drive myself everywhere, Thomas.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: I know the member for Macquarie Fields drives in Sydney, but he flies to Tweed Heads.

Dr Andrew McDonald: I drive all over the State—I drove to Molong and Dubbo.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: When the member came to Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah he did not.

Dr Andrew McDonald: And Wellington, Orange, Bowral, Bathurst, Wollongong and Newcastle.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: He does drive—because there is no public transport to those places! A lack of car parking spaces is a major problem at the Tweed, Murwillumbah and Lismore base hospitals. When visitors eventually find a space it is at the bottom of a hill and by the time they reach the hospital they need to be admitted themselves. A lack of car parking spaces also applies to people who want to access the Blood Bank or all the other services around hospitals. That is why the member for South Coast moved this motion. As the member for Bega said, when the planning or refurbishment of hospitals occurs the provision of car parks should be taken into account.

The Government and the Parliamentary Secretary, the member for Macquarie Fields—who should be the Minister—should take note. If the member for Macquarie Fields drives to hospitals he must go to the chief executive officer's car park. Otherwise, if he arrived in business hours, he would be aware of the lack of car parking spaces available to the general public. He would have to park well away from the hospital. I endorse everything that has been said by members on this side of the House. I congratulate the member for South Coast on bringing the problems of car parking spaces at hospitals to the attention of this House.

Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast) [11.55 a.m.], in reply: I thank members representing the electorates of Macquarie Fields, Bega and Lismore for their contributions to this debate. I thank the member for Bega and the member for Lismore for their support. Suffice it to say, I am disappointed with the comments of the member for Macquarie Fields and even more disappointed that the member for Kiama, whose constituents access the Shoalhaven hospital, did not find enough time to speak in this debate or give support to my motion. Clearly, given the comments of the member for Macquarie Fields, the Government will vote against my motion. The member for Kiama did not make time to support his constituents, some of whom have written to me.

I take absolute offence at the comment of the member for Macquarie Fields, who said that members of the Opposition want to talk down the public health system. I did not talk down the public health system once in my contribution. I am proud of the public health system. I work closely with people within the public health system. I am proud of the redevelopment of Shoalhaven hospital, which began in 1997 when a Liberal Party member who was followed by an Australian Labor Party member represented the electorate. I understand that a Labor Government delivered this wonderful redevelopment, but the lack of sufficient car parking spaces at Shoalhaven hospital is a serious issue.

For the member for Macquarie Fields to say that the Opposition is causing disquiet amongst the community is an absolute absurdity. Opposition members have not caused the disquiet; they are merely responding to our health workers, clinicians, staff and constituents as local members. Are we to say to them, "Go away. I am going to ignore you. Go and tell somebody who cares. I am not going to do anything about it"? Of course we are not. We are going to raise their concerns every time they come to us because that is our job as local members.

The member for Macquarie Fields has turned from being a genuine member in this place and a former highly respected doctor into an apologist for the Government. It is a sad day when a member turns into an apologist for the Government. He has offered no support whatsoever. He has supported me in relation to other issues, for example, remembrance day for children and babies. However, today I am disappointed with his comments. He said I conveniently forgot to talk about the redevelopment of the hospital—my motion is about a lack of car parking spaces, not the redevelopment. He said car parking is an important issue. Of course it is, because Shoalhaven hospital has such a lack of car parking spaces. The member for Macquarie Fields mentioned the renal unit delivered by his Government, but conveniently forgot—maybe he did not know—that that was largely due to the massive fundraising drives by Lions Clubs in that area and their contributions for the renal unit. So he should give credit where credit is due.

Quite appropriately, the member for Bega referred to the huge waste of money in relation to the CBD metro, which could have easily built 10 car parks and all sorts of facilities in the Shoalhaven. The member for Macquarie Fields accused the Opposition of causing disquiet, but I will refer to comments made to me about which the Government wants me to do and say nothing. A constituent in the Kiama electorate, a nurse going on shift at the hospital, was fined because she parked incorrectly. She wrote:

My main concern is not the fine itself but the fact that nothing has been done or is likely to be done to alleviate the parking problem at Shoalhaven Hospital.

A nurse, also a resident of Kiama, wrote:

Not enough car spaces were allowed for with the major redevelopment and now that the hospital is part of the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Service. I can never see Parking as being a priority as Sydney hospitals always have parking issues.

A nurse who is a resident of my electorate wrote:

On the day I was working an evening shift and had driven around about five times to find a park and there was none. The one available [was] three blocks away and I don't think it is safe to be walk[ing] to the car in the dark on your own at 9.30 at night.

That is a pretty serious issue. Am I causing disquiet? There is disquiet: nurses, doctors, residents and patients express genuine concerns to me on a daily basis. The member for Macquarie Fields did not take the issue seriously and attacked me because I had the temerity to stand in this place and represent my constituents and my council, which over nine years has been trying to resolve this problem. The council has tried to assist the Government, but nothing has happened. It is deplorable. [Time expired.]

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided.

Question resolved in the negative.

Motion negatived.