News article: Ambos in dark over car park

Media coverage this week has revealed that paramedics have not been informed about the new car park access point on Eleanor Street, and residents are not the only ones disappointed with the Maribyrnong Council's consultation process. The Star News article can be read below or by following this link to the newspaper's website.

Ambos in dark over car park
Charlene Macaulay

Star News
15 October 2013

FOOTSCRAY’S new hospital precinct car park has raised the ire of Ambulance Employees Australia, who says paramedics have not been informed about the Eleanor St access point.

It has emerged that Ambulance Victoria, who use Eleanor St as their main access to Western Hospital’s emergency department, were never informed about the plans for the car park.

The car park, which will be completed in November and will have 282 parking bays, will have only one access point via 41 Eleanor St.

Steve McGhie from Ambulance Employees Australia said paramedics were concerned the added traffic could block ambulances from driving into Western Hospital’s emergency department.

“It doesn’t make sense – you would think the entrance would come off Gordon St,” Mr McGhie said.
“It’s already a narrow street.

“The entrance to the emergency department is in Eleanor St, and any extra traffic will cause problems for ambulances trying to get into the hospital.”

Eleanor St residents, together with staff from St Johns Primary School, have held multiple meetings with the council to request an alternative access point, concerned about the heightened traffic conditions and safety for school children.

Many Eleanor St residents, including Karastar Tuddin, have told Star of their disappointment and anger at the lack of consultation about the works.

Residents will submit a petition with 339 signatures opposing the access point at tonight’s council meeting. Randall Wee was among a group of residents to meet with Mayor Catherine Cumming and director of Infrastructure and Engineering Ian Butterworth earlier this month, and said the council was starting to properly consult with residents.

“They seem to be willing to concede a few more issues of safety, and there’s a few things they’ve committed to -including traffic calming measures along the road, a few more 40km/h signs,” Mr Wee said.

“The mayor also wanted the council to make it no left turn from the access point onto Eleanor St, which would be a really good thing as well.

“They’ve committed to it verbally, and we left the meeting feeling really positive.”

News article: Only a fence will come between a Footscray family and a new hospital car park

Continuing media coverage is highlighting the negative impact a car park entrance in Eleanor Street will have on residents.

Last week's Maribyrnong Leader focussed on Jessica Cubias and her family, mum Hong Chai and brother David, who would be the worst affected. The article can be read below or by following this link.

Only a fence will come between a Footscray family and a new hospital car park

BRIDIE BYRNE
MARIBYRNONG LEADER
OCTOBER 08, 2013

A FOOTSCRAY family say they are bracing for a traffic nightmare as a wooden fence will be all that separates their house from a new hospital car park.

Maribyrnong Council is building a hospital precinct car park with 282 spaces despite community outrage over its entry and exit points in Eleanor St.

The 24-hour parking lot, set to open in November, will be at the site of the council's former depot behind Western Hospital.

Jessica Cubias said her family, including mum Hong Chai and brother David, would be the worst affected.

"My mother bought this house more than 15 years ago and never thought this was going to happen," she said.

"It's impracticable and insane to have an access way between two properties.''

The council predicts traffic movements will rise by about 15 per cent or 598 vehicles.

Ms Cubias said the lack of consultation by the council had caused undue stress.

Residents were first notified about the access point in a letter sent out on August 20, which stated construction would begin the following week.

"We have felt really powerless against such a big council," she said. "We are considering seeking legal advice and even approaching the ombudsman."

Ms Cubias said the car park entrance should be down a main road such as Gordon St.

Mayor Catherine Cumming said Eleanor St was the most direct route to the car park but conceded consultations with residents could have beenbetter.

She said the council was reviewing parking restrictions in the hospital precinct to provide more off-street parking for those with permits.

Council strategic marketing manager Morris Bellamy said trees would also be planted to help act as a buffer.

Residents have started an online campaign at carparkcowboys.blogspot.com.au

Did the council choose the right access point? Have your say below or emailmaribyrnong@leadernewspapers.com.au

News article - "Hospital car park: Eleanor St residents fight on"

An article in the latest edition of the Maribyrnong Hobson Bay Weekly details the impact a car park entrance on Eleanor Street will have on neighbouring residents. The article can be read below or by following this link.

Hospital car park: Eleanor St residents fight on 
By Benjamin Millar

03/10/2013

Eleanor Street residents have vowed to keep up their fight against an expected 1000 extra car trips a day in their street when a new car park opens for the Western Hospital.

Hong Chai, who has lived with her family for 15 years next door to what will become the car park entrance, fears being subjected to round-the-clock traffic outside her home when the car park opens next month.

“You can imagine the pollution from the cars, toxic fumes, lights shining into our windows, noise from the engines,” she said.

“We won’t be able to leave our doors or windows open. I just feel powerless. It’s just so stressful and scary. Our dream is shattered.”

Mrs Chai echoed the calls of other residents and of St John’s Catholic School for relocating access to the car park through the hospital’s adjoining car park on Gordon Street.

Maribyrnong mayor Catherine Cumming said Western Health had been intractable on that front, leaving the council no alternative but to provide access via Eleanor Street.

Cr Cumming said the project would, however, take pressure off parking in surrounding streets. “It benefits the hospital but is important for the whole precinct.”

Council infrastructure and engineering director Ian Butterworth said the council planned to continue with the Eleanor Street entrance. He said an additional 1000 movements would add only about 15 per cent to traffic, and Eleanor Street had the capacity to carry 5000 cars a day.

Council communications manager Morris Bellamy said the council recognised consultation “has not been as good as it could be”. “In terms of a solution for this precinct, we have a viable and a good solution here and we’re determined to make this work well.”

Star News reports on "Access Furore"

Media coverage of the issue is continuing with an article in today's local Star News. The article, Access Furore, gives voice to some of our concerns and it is promising to see these being shared with the wider community through the media. The article can be read below or by following the link.

Access furore
01 October 2013

By Charlene Macaulay

CONCERNED Eleanor Street residents are desperately trying to halt a proposed access route to the new hospital precinct car park.
The 282-space car park, due to be completed in November, will now have only one access point via 41 Eleanor St.
Residents were first notified about the access point in a letter sent out on 20 August. The letter advised that construction on the block of land would begin the following week.
Local residents, together with staff from St John’s Primary School, have since held multiple meetings with the council to request an alternative access point.
They are concerned about the heightened traffic conditions and safety for school children.
Eleanor St resident Karastar Tuddin said her neighbours were disappointed and angry at the lack of consultation about the works.
“They’ve always intended to have a new hospital car park which is true, but we didn’t know that Eleanor St would be where the entry and exit points would be,” Ms Tuddin said.
“Some residents haven’t been consulted at all still, except from our residents’ action group.
“Our ultimate goal would be to have access and exit not form Eleanor St but from Gordon St into the new car park, it just makes so much more sense.”
Resident Jessica Cubias is doubtful that the council will budge on the issue.
Ms Cubias lives next door to the block of land in question with her mum and brother and said the family was blind-sided when it discovered Maribyrnong City Council’s plans for the site.
“It’s quite a shock,” she said. “(The council) will only consult on high fences and noise reduction – they’re not going to negotiate putting the access way anywhere else.
“For residents, it’s just impractical. The parking situation is already bad enough.”
Previously, council vehicles accessed the former depot via Southampton St, but Mayor Catherine Cumming said the car park would turn Southampton St into a thoroughfare at the expense of residents.
Council strategic marketing manager Morris Bellamy said the council had also done consultation with other residential streets because the original plan had been to access the car park via a major street such as Gordon St.
This option didn’t go ahead after negotiations with Western Hospital stalled.
In a media briefing last week, Cr Cumming conceded the lack of consultation with Eleanor St residents was an “oversight”.
“We’ve looked at all the different access points, so every time we’ve informed the residents about trying to access the car park, they would know that it’s going to come from one of (the surrounding streets),” she said.
“If you lived in this area, every piece of land that touches this area is an access point.
“With hospital and medical services in the area continuing to expand, the car park will help alleviate the pressure, while allowing residents greater access to the streets.
“When the parking lot – aimed at hospital visitors – is open, the way vehicles move up and down Eleanor Street and its surrounds will change for the better.”
Residents have continued their campaign online at www.carparkcowboys.blogspot.com.au

News article: Footscray hospital car park still a sore point for council

The Maribyrnong and Hobson's Bay Weekly has today published an article titled 'Footscray hospital car park still a sore point for council'.  

Footscray hospital car park still a sore point for council
By Benjamin Millar
Sept. 25, 2013, 11.36a.m.

Maribyrnong council is pressing ahead with entry works to a car park widely criticised by Footscray residents.

Eleanor Street residents, upset over a lack of consultation, have been rebuffed in their push for access to the new hospital district car park in the council’s old Southampton Street depot to be provided from busier Gordon Street.

They argue the Eleanor Street entrance is a risk to the safety of children at nearby St John’s Primary School, and they want works halted until “appropriate and meaningful consultation” has taken place.

Parking in the hospital precinct has been a long-term sore spot for the council.

Mayor Catherine Cumming said the council was working to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the area.

“Residents have made it clear to us for some time that they don’t appreciate hospital staff and visitors’ vehicles taking free spots in ‘their’ streets.”

She said the council had sought to fix the situation with a pay-as-you-go car park on the old council works centre site.

“We will do our level best to address residents’ concerns one by one, and that’s the reason for the meetings, but clearly access to the car park is essential.”

Western Health executive director of operations Russell Harrison declined to provide details about discussions with the council.

“Western Health is pleased about the redevelopment of parking in the Western Hospital precinct as it will expand parking options for those using and visiting the hospital.”

Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland has written to both the council and the Western Hospital requesting a return to the proposal for a Gordon Street entrance.

A works schedule has the new entrance being completed by November 1.

If the Maribyrnong Council has its way, a wooden fence is all that will separate Hong Chai’s house from the noise of one thousand cars streaming past. Every day. Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week.

Without consulting her or any other residents of Eleanor Street, the Council has approved the construction of an access road from their already congested street to a new car park at the Western Hospital.

“It’s just over the fence. This is the only entrance. You can imagine all the cars that will go past my house. They will stop outside my kitchen window when they go out. You can imagine the pollution from the cars, toxic fumes, lights shining into our windows, noise from the engines. Can you imagine that twenty-four  hours a day? We won’t be able to leave our doors or windows open. I just feel powerless. I don’t know what to do. Especially because we’re from overseas. We don’t know what kind of rights we have. How can we fight this? It’s just so stressful and scary,” Mrs Chai says.

Mrs Chai and her family have called Eleanor Street home for nearly fifteen years. When she brought her house, there were neighbours on each side. She never dreamed one of the houses would one day be demolished and the land leased for a road.

“I worked two jobs to bring up my children in this house.Out of seven days a week, I only had Monday afternoon off for the last 5 years. We just put on a new roof and started renovating our house in January. Now this bombshell. It will definitely devalue my house. And all we’ve been offered by the Council is a higher fence.”

The first that Mrs Chai heard of the Council’s plans was just days before it sent in the bulldozers.

“They sent us a letter. In the first letter, they didn’t mention a road or parking. Just to say we’re going to open the space next door to the public. And then in August they sent me another letter saying they’re going to make a road going through to the parking station. 

I was really shocked. I really don’t know what to do. No one was consulted. The school on our street didn’t know anything about it, the Ambulance Service didn’t know about it. They haven’t been open or honest about any of their plans."

And with Footscray’s growing population, she's worried the number of cars will only increase.

"Our dream is shattered. Are we going to stay in our “home sweet home” or a polluted, toxic house? How can we stay here? What will be our future?"

What Mrs Chai and the residents of Eleanor Street can't understand is why the Western Hospital won't allow the Council access through a small section of their existing carpark on Gordon Street?

Why is the Council even considering using Eleanor Street, a narrow street that is already struggling with traffic from the Catholic School and the only access point for the Ambulance Service.

The Maribyrnong Council has refused to explain why or release detailed plans.

We are calling for all works to cease until there has been meaningful consultation with the Community and for The Council to negotiate to make the access and exit to the car park via Gordon Street.

For more information on how you can help, please visit our blog: carparkcowboys.blogspot.com.au 

Update

A group of around 30 residents, business owners and St John's school teachers and parents met with Council on Monday 16 September.  Council agreed to supply us with a safety study.  We called on Council to halt work on the access road until these issues are resolved.  They agreed to explore rescheduling work on the access road until later in October but would not agree to postpone the work until these issues are resolved.

We do not see how a proper consultation process can take place when the very work we object to is still going ahead regardless.

Nevertheless, our campaign is gathering strength.

*  We have been featured in the media, including as the Maribyrnong Weekly's "Weekly What Do You Think?" issue - please visit the site to add your comment.

*  We have gathered over 200 signatures on a petition, with more being added daily.

*  We are meeting with a number of state and federal government figures to present our campaign.

*  We are in contact with other residents' groups in neighbouring streets who are likewise deeply disappointed in Council's community consultation processes.

*  Our blog and campaign has been active on social media.  Community icon and advocate Les Twentyman sent this tweet to his 1,000+ followers in support of us:

What can you do to help?

*  Please share our campaign on your social media networks.  Our Facebook page is here and our blog address is carparkcowboys.blogspot.com.

*  Please add a comment to the Weekly's "Weekly What Do You Think?" comment forum, which you can find here.

*  We have updated our letter contact page here, with new addresses including state and federal politicians.  You can download a pro forma letter from that page.

This is not just a local issue - we want to send a message that councils cannot act in this way, both in this issue and other issues in the future.  Thank you for your support.