John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct

How about extending the Newcastle light rail to here via Broadmeadow Stadium

I refer to page 15 (Traffic Impact Assessment) of this document. It is clearly flawed. PM "Peak Hour" (3:15-4:15PM) seems to have been nominated to downplay the significant traffic issues experienced at the JHH campus on an almost daily basis. The major traffic peak is between 4:00 - 5:00 PM, with delays of 30 minutes to exit the campus from Car Park 4 routinely experienced, with delays of >90 minutes occurring on occasion, independent of traffic flow on Lookout Road. If traffic planning for further expansion of this campus is based on this information intuitively it will only exacerbate an already intolerable situation for staff. This seems to be little more than a cynical attempt to deflect from the very real traffic issues experienced by staff on a daily basis.

I refer to page 15 (Traffic Impact Assessment) of this document. It is clearly flawed. PM "Peak Hour" (3:15-4:15PM) seems to have been nominated to downplay the significant traffic issues experienced at the JHH campus on an almost daily basis. Whilst there is a burst of traffic during this time point (morning staff finishing shifts), the next major traffic peak is between 4:00 - 5:00 PM, with delays of 30 minutes to exit the campus from Car Park 4 or HMRI routinely experienced, and delays of >90 minutes occurring on occasion, independent of traffic flow on Lookout Road. If traffic planning for further expansion of this campus is based on this information intuitively it will only exacerbate an already intolerable situation for staff. This seems to be little more than a cynical attempt to deflect from the very real traffic issues experienced by staff on a daily basis.

I am a resident living within 1 km of the John Hunter Hospital (JHH).
I am objecting to further expansion of the JHH for the following reasons:
1. It appears to be empire building.
2. There is inadequate parking for hospital staff even now, which forces parking to spill over to into our suburbs. Or, maybe staff have to pay to park. So, what will this expansion bring if the JHH maintains inadequate and/or paid staff parking.
3. Traffic is already at a standstill going to and from the JHH at certain hours, including on a busy main road. There appears to be little consideration given to the traffic impact of this expansion, and such as it may be, whether there are sufficient access points into and out of the JHH precinct.
4. I am aware that some ambos will not take patients to the JHH at times of high traffic non-flow.
5. The JHH is the only hospital serving the inner suburbs of Newcastle. A wonderful situation if more and more development in the precinct creates internal and external traffic gridlocks preventing people getting to the place.
6. Suburbs which could be impacted are New Lambton, New Lambton Heights, Lambton, Jesmond, Elermore Vale, and possibly Kotara and Wallsend.
7. However, if the development concept includes fixing things to prevent our suburbs remaining a free parking station for the JHH and alleviating or addressing as needed, the traffic gridlocks, whether or not the development takes place, I will be in favour of it.

I am concerned on the lack on improved parking for staff parking.
Currently there is not enough parking for currently employees resulting in staff driving around looking for car spaces, trying to park on surrounding community streets, or parking in non-allocated car spaces within a campus car park and run the risk of receiving a parking violation of $83 and be late for commencement of shift.
There is more shifts and demand for car parking than just the morning, afternoon and night shift overlaps. There is increased demand for shift throughout the day with staggered shift times for staff working in clinics, emergency, and theatre and the hospital increases demand which as not been taking into account in the reporting figures. The report also does not take into account staff currently park in Visitor parking and pay additional to park on top of their already allocated pay deduction along with staff resulting to park in surrounding community streets due to the inability to find a park. If this figure is reliant on current and new staff utilising public transport, it has been reliant that employees will live close to the hospital with access to public transport, for example I live in Wallalong where we do not have a public bus and if I drive to the nearest train I would be able to get to Hamilton but how would I then get to John Hunter? Not a significant amount of employees live in close suburbs to the hospital to easily and time effectively utilise public transport.
In s4.1 of G_Traffic Impact Assessment_Part1 the parking demand study identified that the proposed JHHIP should provide for an additional 754 parking spaces on site by 2031/32, comprising 517 staff spaces, 9 VMO spaces, 25 fleet spaces and 203 public spaces….. by 2031/32 and current staff cannot park now and are deterred from utilising car spaces in the Visitor parking and yet an employee cannot park.
In s 8.6 G_Traffic Impact Assessment_Part1 it has been recommended construction workers commute with public transport where practical and to use surrounding streets to park and yet construction workers will commence shift prior to JHH morning staff and will have greater opportunity to access street parking and therefore have a compounding effect of reducing parking for current staff needing progressively park throughout the day.
Therefore, 517 parking spaces by 2031/32 is grossly underestimated and would greatly be beneficial now prior to an expansion, and secondly, the effect of construction workers on surrounding car parking ability is also grossly under-estimated.
If staff cannot park easily at a hospital how can people work in the hospital??????

This response is for car parking requirements, file G, Section 4.1. Within this description it states a total of 517 parking spaces. This will NOT be enough parking for staff within the new hospital and not completed till 2031.

My current department has over 300 staff with nearly 80 staff on for a morning shift. Once the new hospital is built our department will be growing from 16 operating rooms to 22 operating rooms which will bring the required number staff required on the day shift to over 100.

Public transport is not practical for a lot of staff as the current routes and times do not match staff homes or start times.

With the increase size of the hospital please relook at the amount of parking available for staff. I believe the 517 staff parking spaces will not be enough for the increase number of staff.

The staff and patients will be worried concerned and stressed about the parking once the hospital and building is completed.
I know I am after reading about the parking.

I see from the plans that the cycleway/walkway that enters the John Hunter Hospital (JHH) boundary on the north side will be adversely impacted by the new JHH roadworks in that area, as will the electrical easement, both of which currently provide a major access path for bushwalking and cycling in the bushland adjacent to the northern boundary of the JHH.
What plans are in place for maintaining continued and unhindered access to these walking and cycling paths to bushland on the northern boundary of the JHH, which are currently enjoyed by so many local bushwalkers and cyclists ?

I feel that better forecasting of the needs of the prescient are necessary. There are definitely not enough parking spaces allocated for staff in the plans. Not enough by a long shot. I would say double it. We are a 24 hour multidisciplinary service with a variety of shift start and finishing times. On call operating theatre staff should have allocated car spaces (not just the doctors either). As a major trauma centre we should cater for all staff who assist in the emergencies after hours. Furthermore spending the time and effort now will save a myriad of issues later due to lack of foresight.

My principal concern is the transport issues created by the project. At this very moment I have 6 cars parked outside my residence by employees at the John Hunter Hospital complex. Regardless of the parking provision in this project there is NEVER enough parking to meet the needs of employees and visitors to the hospital complex. Provision of better public transport to the hospital is the most effective solution to providing access for employees and visitors.

As part of this project are there any plans for NSW Health to include/extend a fire trail or asset protection zone behind homes along Croudace Street where highlighted on the attachment? I understand Health owns all that land. There are serious concerns if there was a bush fire as there is no asset protection zone or fire trail despite many homes backing onto the bushland. There is no access from Croudace Street to that area.

No comment response letter sent

I am writing to express concern for the proposed North Road – East Phase section of the road network. Due to its proposed alignment there is a high potential for this road to become a rat run from the Newcastle Inner City Bypass to Lookout Road and onto Russell Road and vice versa. Could you advise whether this was a consideration as I could not find it in the traffic report?
Could consideration be given to a more convoluted North Road – East Phase section going south of the bush land pocket closer to the ASB building thus providing an efficient connection for these buildings and reducing the appeal of the rat run through the hospital grounds, with the bonus of not disconnecting the bush land pocket from the remaining bush land and reducing the road networks footprint.
Kind Regards Kane

BCD comments on the EIS as requested.
Regards Steve Lewer

We need long term Noise and Vibration Monitoring station on the Residential side of Lookout Road.
Need assurance from Developer and State Government any Damage to our property due to Construction Vibration will be adequately compensated.
Construction noise and Construction Traffic noise to be kept to a minimum.
No wastewater or Waste Removal from Hospital Renovation and New Hospital Development should impact our Property.

HNSW ACH advice attached.

Apologies for the delayed response, please find attached comments from Subsidence Advisory NSW and attachment for the review of the submitted grout plan.

Greetings,
Please be advised, to avoid duplicating TfNSW submissions, the collective TfNSW Response will be uploaded by Roads and Maritime Services Account in the Portal. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Robert Rutledge, Transport Planning Manager, TfNSW

see attached

Please find attached copy of City of Newcastle's advice on this application.

Please see attached letter.