Frustrated Hastings resident says DHB needs to provide staff parking

Parking is at a premium on Frimley Ave. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hastings District Council has approved changes to various carparks across the city, with new time limits and mobility parks in several locations.

But one Hastings residents says the changes need to be more wide reaching.

David Williams, who lives on Frimley Ave, said the minute the Hawke's Bay District Health Board started charging for parking, people started parking on the street all day.

"It's pretty simple for me, really, they need to provide parking for their staff."

He said the issue was primarily a safety one, as cars being parked down the street blocked visibility.

"We're in a residential street, so we can't see when we back out our drive.

"We don't see cyclists, we can't see kids on bikes, recycling trucks can't turn around, they have already hit two cars."

On Thursday last week, Hastings District Council approved a time limit of 60 minutes for four parks on the street.

"That's just going to force people to park further down the road," Williams said.

"It's not solving the problem."

District health board facilities manager Gavin Carrey-Smith said a parking building would cost the DHB many millions of dollars.

"At this point the DHB would rather invest that money in healthcare services."

However, he said they have a Go Well programme designed to improve access to health care, promote exercise and reduce emissions.

"Bus trips are free on the GoBay bus network for patients that have appointments at Hawke's Bay Hospital and staff trips are also subsidised.

"As a result the use of the bus service by patients has almost doubled.

"We now have over 300 staff who are registered to carpool and are able to use a free car parking space and a number of new bike parking facilities have also been installed."

He said a 2018 survey showed 18 per cent fewer staff members drove to work compared to 2015.

"Coupled with this we also charge a fee, to staff, of $1 a day to park on the hospital campus.

"This money is reinvested in parking facilities and other initiatives to help encourage staff to think about other ways of getting to work other than driving alone."

He said over the past two years the DHB has added 130 new staff car parks, and that he is always happy to meet with concerned residents.

In total, Hastings District Council approved seven changes to car parking across the city, including time limits on sections of King St North, Frimley Ave, McLeod St, Karamu Rd and Orchard Rd, and mobility parks on King St North and Lyndhurst Rd.

Of the changes, three were requested due to pressure on parking in the vicinity of the hospital.