Bass Coast Health (BCH) is alerting the community to carparking changes at Wonthaggi Hospital.
While parking for patients remains available as per usual, patients presenting for appointments at Allied Health and the L. Rigby Cancer Centre may have previously parked in the far western row of parking separated from the main Allied Health carpark by a road; in the old helipad; and near sheds at the rear of the hospital. Patients are advised these parks are now closed.
The road linking the front and western carparks is also closed. Patients wishing to park in the Allied Health carpark and to access the L. Rigby Centre should enter via the hospital’s rear entrance, accessible from Baillieu Street West.
The closures come after BCH received a geotechnical report following recent geotechnical survey work as part of Stage 2 of the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion.
The report identified some areas where there was a high-risk of subsidence from undermining that occurred during coal mining in the past. These areas are included in the carparking now closed.
BCH CEO Jan Child said BCH and the Victorian Health Building Authority agreed these areas needed to be closed, effective last week.
“We understand there is already a shortage of carparking at Wonthaggi Hospital. Our staff have been asked to keep parking close to the new hospital available for patients to ensure patients can access care and appointments with minimal inconvenience,” she said.
“To help make it easier for our patients to find a carpark, our staff will park in other areas on-site and in surrounding streets, and where possible, car pool and travel to work via means other than driving.
“While the carpark closures are an unfortunate side effect of the preliminary works for Stage 2 of the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion, the safety of our community members and staff is most important.
“We will look to rectify this inconvenience and assure the community that we are acting to ensure they can find a park in a timely manner.”