Central City Tenants Park For Free on Abandoned Hospital Grounds, While Health NZ Sits On Giant Former Christchurch Women's Hospital Site
Central City tenants have been using for free an abandoned carpark on the site of the former Christchurch Womens’ Hospital that could hold at least 40 to 50 vehicles, while staff and cancer patients continue to be dogged by parking costs and roving parking wardens, and Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora appears unable to decide how to solve the crisis.
To the naked eye, the carpark at 875 Colombo Street is off-limits to the public. A sign adorning a pole warns drivers the land is a private carpark, when it is in fact owned by Health NZ. The sign refers readers to a parking company that says it has ceased being responsible for the site some time ago. The carparking is free to anyone who wants to use it. A local who lives in a nearby high-rise told The Wigram she had been told she could park there.
On closer inspection, 875 Colombo Street forms part of a larger abandoned site (885 Colombo Street) that was once the home to Christchurch Women’s Hospital. Health NZ owns 885 Colombo Street too.
Covering an area roughly the size of 32 rugby fields, the site is cordoned off with barbwire topped fences, and its entranceways are bolted shut. Signs warn off visitors. But, by one estimate, the Christchurch Women’s site could accommodate 650 short-term carparks (see below).
On the city streets, the need for additional patient carparking is only a conversation away.
I met on Antigua Street Gary an outpatient. He believed that a 1-hour appointment could easily turn into an hour-and-a half where “the doctor gets called away.”
“You could be two hours, two and a half hours. I feel that you’re awfully exposed in that area, especially if you’re way down in another part of the hospital that’s quite a wee way away from your carparking…very hard for elderly people to get out and fill the meter.”
I spoke with a woman, another out-patient, hurriedly making her way to an appointment. She told The Wigram she had to a pay between $6 to $12 per day while she undergoes cancer treatment.
Regarding her comment, Gary said “so I’m also a cancer patient. So that is very true. That’s what happens there. It can be quite frustrating, because a lot of cancer patients, especially the older ones, don’t have employment, don’t have any income coming in. And yeah, I think it’s only fair that with the hospital it should be subsidised as free parking.”
A couple walking past while I walked the streets. She looked upset and didn’t want to talk. Her partner expressed his disappointment they had to park on Moorhouse Avenue.
Staff too have trouble finding carparking. A staff member taking a pram to the hospital told The Wigram she paid about $53-54 dollars a fortnight to go on a waiting list. But even if her name comes up, that does not guarantee a place. Parking works on a ‘first-in, first-served’ basis.
In 2019, the now obsolete Canterbury District Health considered the proposal of adding two more stories (amounting to 270 carparks) to the Antigua Street staff carpark.
A report stated:
“we recommend that the CDHB continue to hold the former Christchurch Women’s Hospital site for potential use as a Park and Ride facility, until such time as the availability of adequate alternative (and more attractive) parking provision close to the Campus is certain – or the need for some ‘next-best’ alternative becomes clear.”
“This site has the capacity to accommodate around 650 cars and, whilst in some respects is less well-located than the temporary Deans Avenue site”.
A trip from the Deans Avenue ‘park and ride’ site takes on average 20 minutes, according to a 2016 hospital pamphlet. By contrast, on foot, the walk takes 20-25 minutes from the former Christchurch Women’s site to the rear main hospital entrance off Rolleston Avenue. A trip by van might take half that time.
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