The small car park is bursting at the seams and Councillor Amanda Findley and her Greens council team think enough is enough.

“Shoalhaven Council has a role to play in trying to secure the car parking situation here at the hospital,” Cr Findley said.

Ms Findley believes a multi-level car park in Nowra CBD should take a backseat to the one at the hospital.  

“There’s been talk about a multi-level car park down in town but here is where the desperate need is,” she said.

“We need to shift our focus to the hospital, service the needs of the community, service the needs of the workers and get the State and the Federal Government to stump up the cash to get this predicament sorted out once and for all.”

Nurse and Ward 1 candidate Nina Cheyne said the combination of poor lighting in the car park for shift workers combined with the lack of parking spaces was a key concern.

“We have an issue in Ward 1 and it has been going on for many years regarding the hospital car park,” she said.

Mrs Cheyne said she was also alarmed by visitors to the hospital receiving fines from council appointed parking inspectors.

“I’ve had several people come up to me concerned about the hospital car park, the issue about them getting into the hospital and also getting fined during time restrictions,” she said.

“We have to pull this together as a community and meet the needs of the people in our community, we need to listen to the people.”

Darren Burgmann has multiple system atrophy, a disease he described as “Parkinson’s on steroids” and visits the hospital regularly.

“It’s pretty hard because I need help with transport getting from the car into the appointment,” he explained.

“Someone has to drop me off, I wait while they park and then they come back. Sometimes they have to park in a spot where they’re not meant to and risk getting a fine.”