As part of the state government’s announcement to award the helipad tender to Ballarat construction company H Troon yesterday, the City of Ballarat also declared it would chip in $2.4 million to create an additional 99 car parks.

It had already been planned that 100 extra spaces would be created as part of the helipad construction, with council’s contribution to take that number to 199.

The plan comes after the council admitted it needed to improve parking areas around the hospital.

The Courier reported in May that the Drummond Street strip at the front of the Ballarat Base Hospital was the biggest hotspot for parking fines, with council racking up more than $86,000 in fines for 2012.

Mayor Joshua Morris said the investment was the first step in council’s plans to tackle the issue.

“This major car park development is also the first opportunity taken up as part of council’s clear initiative to develop more public car parking in high demand hot spots,” Cr Morris said.

“We know that car parking is at a premium in the wider health precinct and these additional public spaces will help to ease the pressure on street parking around our hospitals.”

The project will be one of the first projects funded through the City of Ballarat’s $230 million Infrastructure Growth Fund. The project is earmarked for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets.