Ballarat Base Hospital staff, visitors urged to park at City Oval

A park and ride service had a trial run early last week and will start in full from Monday, October 2, when Grampians Health Ballarat Base Hospital's multi-deck car park will close for expansion works.

Construction works, as part of the $595 million Base Hospital overhaul, are expected to have the car park closed until about August 2024. This will create about 400 extra car parks to double parking capacity at the hospital.

Parking also remains limited in surrounding areas due to hospital redevelopment works at both the Base Hospital and St John of God Ballarat Hospital.

City of Ballarat has made the City Oval available for parking for hospital patients, visitors and staff during this period to park and walk about 800 metres (or 10 minutes) to the hospital precinct.

The free park and ride bus service will be available daily from 6am to about 11pm with rides at least every 15-20 minutes.

Bus frequency will increase in peak periods: 6.15am to 9.15am and 2pm to 6pm.

A similar free park and ride service was in place when the multi-level car park was originally built.

Staff have previously expressed concern about returning to their cars parked near City Oval at finishing shifts late at night, including after the 11pm final ride time.

Pick-up and drop-off points at the hospital for the park and ride service will be at the Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre entry on Sturt Street, and the Gardiner-Pittard foyer entry on Drummond Street.

In March the state government announced the $54 million expansion of the multi-level car park, adding an extra 400 spaces, and relocating the helipad currently on the roof of the carpark to the top of the new seven-storey tower which is due for completion in 2027.

The multi-storey car park will remain open for parking this AFL Grand Final long weekend.

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