The fire in Whangārei Hospital's carpark damaged 28 vehicles but will not delay an extension to the same carpark.
The fire in Whangārei Hospital's carpark damaged 28 vehicles but will not delay an extension to the same carpark.
A dramatic fire in a Whangārei Hospital carpark has not delayed its extension to create 583 new spaces.
A lack of parking at the hospital has resulted in patients missing appointments and staff having to arrive up to an hour early for each shift.
While demand for parking has alwaysbeen high, work on the hospital redevelopment added to the woes, with construction on the $35 million child health unit removing 123 parking spaces.
Official information obtained by the Northern Advocate showed the need for more parking was raised by the hospital rebuild property steering group in March 2024.
A request for funding was denied because of budget constraints, but $1.7m for design was approved.
With a spike in complaints about the lack of parking this year, Health NZ scrambled to create extra spaces before work began on the largest piece of the rebuild: the acute services building, which will remove more than 480 parks.
Alex Pimm, Health NZ’s group director of operations for Te Tai Tokerau, said the grass was removed and replaced with pebbles, and other vegetation work would be done during the expansion.
The fire would not delay the expansion.
Health NZ group director Alex Pimm and Health Minister Simeon Brown check out Whangārei Hospital's new transit lounge in February. Brown says he is looking forward to seeing more work on the rebuild.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said Friday’s sod-turning for the carpark extension was a key milestone in the hospital redevelopment, enabling construction of the acute services building.
“Car parks are a vital part of hospital infrastructure and are essential for patients, staff and visitors as we continue the transformation of Whangārei Hospital.”
The carpark 14 extension will deliver 583 new spaces by the end of May. However, after that, more than 480 existing spaces would become temporarily unavailable because of further construction, Brown said.
Once the child health centre was completed, total hospital parking spaces would increase by nearly 40%, from 1415 to 1977, delivering a significant long-term improvement, he said.
The ground-level extension will be funded through Health NZ’s Capital Plan.
The proposed new car parking will add 583 spaces to carpark 14 by Tohora House, between Hospital Rd and Raumanga Stream. Photo / Denise Piper
Brown acknowledged the advocacy and support of Whangārei MP and former health minister Dr Shane Reti, who joined the sod-turning ceremony on Friday.
He said the carpark expansion was a practical step towards ensuring people can get the care they needed, when they needed it.
“We know parking is a real issue for the community. This project not only offsets the temporary loss of spaces but also increases overall capacity.”
Brown also said he was looking forward to continued progress with the Whangārei Hospital rebuild.
“The redevelopment of Whangārei Hospital is about delivering a modern, accessible hospital that Northlanders can rely on. I look forward to seeing continued progress across the campus in the months ahead.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
