The Minns Labor Government will invest $7.5 million to significantly expand car parking capacity at the new Maitland Hospital, as part of the 2025-26 NSW Budget.
Patients and visitors to Maitland Hospital are set to benefit from 100 planned additional car parking spaces. This will complement the more than 800 existing spaces at the hospital, for staff and visitors, which were delivered as part of the $30 million New Maitland Hospital car park project.
Since the Minns Labor Government introduced the free car parking initiative at regional and rural hospitals in August 2023, there has been an increased demand for car parking at the new Maitland Hospital and this has necessitated the delivery of new parking spaces.
The car park will remain free of charge.
In addition to the current and planned additional parking, there are also two drop-off areas for patients, accommodating up to nine vehicles for the main hospital and emergency department (ED), a bus stop zone and an emergency vehicle area.
The $470 million new Maitland Hospital opened in January 2022, and provides emergency care, surgical services, critical care, maternity services, paediatric care, cardiac catheterisation, mental health, palliative care, chemotherapy chairs, outpatient clinics and dental services.
Designed in collaboration with staff and the community, the new Maitland Hospital included an additional 150 beds and treatment spaces to meet the growing healthcare needs of the surrounding community.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
"This Government is committed to improving access and delivering high-quality health care to our rural, regional and remote communities.
"With the rollout of our free parking initiative across regional health facilities, we're easing the financial burden on patients and visitors to our hospitals.
"We know trips to the hospital can be a challenging time for patients and their families and I'm so pleased we are further expanding free parking capacity at the new Maitland Hospital as part of this year's Budget.
"The new Maitland Hospital has been transformational for healthcare delivery in the Hunter region, providing comprehensive services from emergency care to specialised treatments under one roof."
Quotes attributable to Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison:
"As the proud member for Maitland, I'm thrilled to deliver this $7.5 million investment that will make a real difference to our community.
"I'm pleased to have worked closely with the Health Minister to deliver new funding for Maitland as part of the 2025-26 NSW State Budget.
"Since our Government introduced free parking at regional health facilities in 2023, we've seen increased demand at Maitland Hospital, which shows our policy is working - people are accessing the healthcare they need without the added burden of parking fees.
"The Minns Labor Government is building a better NSW and better communities by recognising that accessible healthcare means more than just quality medical services - it means removing every barrier that might prevent people from getting the care they need."
