Taxing the Ill Briefing paper on public hospital parking charges  

Prepared by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union (September 2015) 1

DHB PARKING CHARGES: $44 MILLION IN THREE YEARS  

When you or a family member is sick and in need of hospital treatment, the last thing on your mind should be whether or not you have enough change for the hospital car park. Yet that it is becoming more common for District Health Boards to charge for car parks – and it seems the parking taxes are proving to be a nice wee earner for DHBs across the country. Our research reveals that the parking costs for hospital patients, their friends, families and those caring for them is around $15 million annually. The Government’s DHBs have collected $44.4 million in only three years. Hospital parking charges exploit a captive market and disproportionately hit those with the most serious medical conditions, clashing with the core values of the public health system.

Of the twenty New Zealand DHBs, seven have one or more hospitals which charge patients and hospital visitors for parking. While the majority of DHBs charging for parking exist in the main city centres and surrounds, it is surprising that car-parking charges are spreading to regional centres such as Northland. Northland is a region home to a large number of people from a low socio-economic status, where health outcome issues abound and where median incomes are comparatively low. Being a region whose population is geographically dispersed over a large area means that many people will have to commute significant distances in order to obtain hospital treatment. The statistics exclude Christchurch DHB, which does not currently have car parks for patients. Those attending the DHB’s facilities have to pay the City Council for parking.

   

Prepared by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union (September 2015) 2

DHB   Revenue  2012/13   Revenue  2013/14   Revenue  2014/15  Auckland   $3,500,000   $4,000,000   $3,800,000  Capital  &  Coast   $2,371,344   $2,384,552   $2,073,572  Hutt  Valley   $981,727   $1,013,801   $826,773  Mid-­‐Central   $1,215,154   $1,246,450   $1,251,450  Northland   $0   $0   $17,494  Waikato   $2,426,333   $2,545,473   $2,202,026  Waitemata   $3,976,457   $4,710,997   $3,913,471  Total   $14,471,015   $15,901,273   $14,084,786  

DHB   Current  hourly  parking  charge   Concessions  

Auckland  

Auckland  City  Hospital:  0-­‐15mins  =  Free;  15-­‐30  =  $3;  30mins-­‐1hr  =  $4;  1-­‐2hrs  =  $7;  2-­‐3hrs  =  $9;  3-­‐4hrs  =  $10;  4-­‐5hrs  =  $11;  5-­‐6hrs  =  $13;  6-­‐7hrs  =  $15;  7-­‐8hrs  =  $18.  Greenlane  Clinical  Centre:  0-­‐15mins  =  $2;  15-­‐30mins  -­‐  $2;  0mins  -­‐  1hr  =  $3.50;  1-­‐2hrs  =  $6;  2-­‐3hrs  =  $7.50;  3-­‐4hrs  =  $9;  4-­‐5hrs  =  $10;  5-­‐6hrs  =  $11;  6-­‐7hrs  =  $12.50;  7-­‐8hrs  =  $15      

Capital  &  Coast  

WEEKDAY:  0-­‐20  mins  =  free;  20  mins  -­‐  1  hour  =  $4.00;  1-­‐2  hours  =  $6.00;  2-­‐3  hours  =  $7.00;  3-­‐4  hours  =  $8.00;  4-­‐5  hours  =  $9.00;  5-­‐6  hours  =  $10.00;  6+  hours  =  $10.00.  WEEKEND:  0-­‐20  mins  =  free;  20mins  -­‐  1  hour  =  $3.00;  1-­‐2  hours  =  $4.00;  2-­‐3  hours  =  $5.00;  3+  hours  =  $6.00   Cheaper  rates  on  weekends  

Hutt  Valley  0-­‐20  mins  =  free;  20  mins  -­‐  1  hr  =  $3;  1-­‐2  hrs  =  $4;  2-­‐3  hrs  =  $5;  3-­‐4  hrs  =  $6;  4-­‐5  hrs  =  $7;  5  +  hrs  =  $10.   N/A  

Mid-­‐Central  

0-­‐30  mins  =  free;  30  mins  -­‐  1  hr  =  $2;  1-­‐1.5  hrs  =  $3;  1.5-­‐2  hrs  =  $4;  2-­‐2.5  hrs  =  $5;  2.5-­‐3  hrs  =  $6;  3-­‐4  hrs  =  $7;  4-­‐5  hrs  =  $7;  5-­‐6  hrs  =  $7;  6-­‐7  hrs  =  $8;  7-­‐8  hrs  =  $8;  8+  hrs  =  $8;  lost  ticket  =  $10;  staff  =  $10  per  week  deducted  from  sallary/  wages;  staff  casual  daily  rate  $3  per  day;  Staff  casual  weekly  reat  =  $12.50  per  week;  Staff  part  time  weekly  rate  $7.50  per  week.     None.  Pay  structure  applies  24/7  

Northland  

0-­‐60mins  =  Free;  1-­‐1.5hrs  =  $2.00;  1.5-­‐2hrs  =  $3.00;  2-­‐2.5hrs  =  $4.00;  2.5-­‐3hrs  =  $5.00;  3-­‐4hrs  =  $6.00;  4-­‐6hrs  =  $7.00;  6hrs+  =  $8.00;  Lost  ticket  =  $10.00   Not  specified  

Waikato  

0-­‐29mins  =  Free;  30mins-­‐1hr  =  $1.50;  1-­‐2hrs  =  $3.00;  2-­‐3hrs  =  $4.50;  3-­‐4hrs  =  $6.00;  4hrs+  (maximum  charge)  =  $7.50  

Seven-­‐day  parking  pass  =  $7.00;  wards  conditionally  grant  concession  ticket  eg  for  patients  having  day  procedures  =  $1.50  per  exit;  Full  time  staff  and  contractors  =  $11.00  per  week;  Part  time  staff  (less  than  30hrs  per  week)  =  $6.50  per  week;  Staff  with  reserved  parking  =  $24.00  per  week;  Multi  cash  cards  =  $3  per  max  9hrs;  Student  nurses  (with  ID)  =  $7.00  per  week;  Volunteers,  Red  Cross,  Emergency  Services  etc  =  Free  

Waitemata  

0-­‐30mins  =  Free;  30mins-­‐1hr  =  $4.00;  1-­‐2hrs  =  $6.00;  2-­‐3hrs  =  $8.00;  3-­‐4hrs  =  $9.00;  4-­‐5hrs  =  $10.00;  5-­‐6hrs  =  $12.00;  6-­‐7hrs  =  $15.00;  7-­‐8hrs  =  $18.00;  over  8hrs  =  $18.00;  lost  ticket  =  $20.00;  maximum  daily  charge  =  $18.00;  staff  pay  $2.50  per  day   Not  specified