Ballarat City Council has installed new time restriction signs across the central business district and near Ballarat Base Hospital.

The changes mean many employees are now forced to park further away from their workplace or pay for parking.

It has also affected patients at the hospital, and St John of God Hospital, who say accessing emergency departments can be costly when they also have to pay for parking.

A nurse who asked not to have their name identified said many workers at the hospital were concerned for their safety on shifts that finished at night.

“Staff are scared, our unit sent off a letter with our concerns but didn't hear anything back so it was probably pushed under the rug,” she said.

“Down one side of Dana Street, between Ascot and Pleasant Street at the nursing homes was all day parking – there's staff who do six-hour and eight-hour shifts and there is no way we can go out and move our vehicles which means we will all get fines.

“lt's just going to be one big inconvenience to all the workers in that area.

“Around the corner in Ascot Street towards Eyre Street used to be all day as well and now that's getting changed too, it's just another way for the council to get money out of the public through fines.”

The employee said there were far more staff then spaces in the hospital car park.

A poll on The Courier Facebook page received almost 1500 votes from residents.

Forty-three per cent of answers said did not want to walk more than 10 minutes from their car to work.

Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh said the hospital had to consider making its multi-level car park more accessible to staff.

“We have given the hospital significant funding for a multi-deck car park to alleviate parking in that area,” she said.

“There are still some things the hospital can do to add to that support.

“I would want my staff to be safe, I wouldn’t want them having to walk long distances in the dark.”

Fiona Bennett has received multiple parking fines while taking her then eight-year-old daughter to the emergency department.

Because her daughter is a minor, she must stay with her inside the department, and cannot leave her to move her car.

She said you did not think to move your car when your child was in intensive care.

“It was late in the afternoon the night before and I was parked in Mair Street.

“I carried my daughter down to emergency, then went back to the car the next morning.

“I was in the hospital all night  - when you child is intensive care, your first thought is not ‘I need to top up the meter or move the car’.”

Ms Bennett is a single mother and was able to have council waive some of the fines she has received once she produced records from the hospital.

However she said the process to appeal fines was too much.

“After you have had your child in hospital for two weeks, and intensive care for one, that is last thing you want is to deal with, so you just pay it,” Ms Bennett said.

“It really is a pain when you are a single parent.”

BHS’s multi level car park contains 462 carparks but they do cost $4 an hour or a maximum of $16 per day for a single entry.

In addition the hospital has specific arrangements for disadvantaged patients, with relevant BHS staff able to offer specific patients or carers with $3 discounted parking ticket to be used at their discretion for those clients as a concession.  

Council changes to parking limits also follow complaints from residents in precinct area like Webster that cars from hospital staff and patients are clogging up residential streets.