Nambour Health Precinct plan aims to improve parking and traffic flow

Sunshine Coast Council yesterday (Wednesday 8 December) officially agreed to support a range of measures aimed at improving parking and traffic movements in the busy Nambour Health precinct.

Service Delivery Portfolio Councillor Paul Tatton, who also chairs the working group, said the group brings together the relevant stakeholders affected by the problems being experienced in the precinct.

The proposed changes to existing parking and traffic movements include:

• A park-and-ride facility for daytime hospital staff with a shuttle bus operating between the parking site and the hospital for start- and end-of-shift movements
• Increased parking fees for staff parking on-site at the Nambour Hospital
• Parking times in the streets altered, with the introduction of concentric enforcement zones and parking times of one hour, two hours and three hours to be introduced
• Selected parking spaces removed and replaced with no stopping areas to improve traffic flow and safety
• One-way streets introduced to improve traffic flow and safety
• Improved public transport access including a signed taxi rank in a suitable location.

"Since the Nambour Health Precinct Working Group’s inception in February, we’ve been investigating the best ways to improve parking options, traffic flow and safety in this very busy area," Cr Tatton said

"The recommendations will see the State Government, through the Nambour Hospital management team, introduce a park-and-ride facility for Nambour Hospital staff.

"Council today agreed to support this initiative, as well as other measures both hospitals can put in place to encourage staff to car pool, or to park and ride."

Cr Tatton said council’s parking strategy will see shorter-term parking close to the hospital and longer-term parking further away, to allow for patients and visitors to gain easier access and to discourage long-term parking in prime locations close to the hospital.

He said the focus of the traffic flow strategy within the health precinct is on improving traffic visibility and pedestrian safety. One of the proposed changes will see Florence Street becoming one-way from Doolan Street to improve traffic safety for residents and to allow for safer entry for motorists entering Hospital Road.