TWO Bendigo Health nurses are concerned about the lack of parking around the hospital precinct for staff.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The nurses, who wish to remain anonymous, say they are having to search for a car park past Lake Weeroona.
“We usually have to leave home 45 minutes before even starting an evening shift just to try and get a park,” one nurse said.
An evening shift runs between 1.30pm and 10pm and a night shift runs between 9.30pm to 7.30am.
The female nurses said they felt unsafe walking back to her car after her shift ended.
“We don’t mind if you have to walk blocks and blocks when you are on a day shift but when you are finishing at 10 at night or even later and you are walking two and three blocks to your car when it is pitch black, it is unsafe” she said. “There are no lights.”
Both nurses believe more could be done to provide staff with a safe place to park.
“There is staff car parking, but you do have to pay for it," one nurse said.
"There is a waiting list and you are not guaranteed a car park so most of the time it is full before you even start your shift."
The other nurse said a security guard was available afterhours to walk staff back to their cars.
“The other night I didn’t finish until nearly 11pm and I called security and they were busy so I had to walk three blocks in the dark to my car,” a nurse said.
The other nurse said she was happy to pay for parking only if she was guaranteed a car park close to the hospital after hours.
She said more parking facilities are promised in the construction of the new hospital but that wasn’t expected to be completed for a further two years.
“We need something now,” she said.
Last month the City of Greater Bendigo councillors rejected paid parking at the Bendigo Hospital site.
Councillors decided more options needed to be considered before-paid parking was implemented.
A dedicated parking officer has since been employed to enforce parking throughout the precinct.
The council also introduced time restricted parking in some residential streets.
Council will review their options next year before implementing paid parking.
kristen.alebakis@fairfax
media.com.au