Premier Peter Malinauskas announced this morning that the government had agreed to offer about 17,000 parking permits to healthcare workers, allowing them to park at public hospitals for $2.50 a day – the same rate charged in 2011.

He said workers who do not receive a parking permit could continue to travel on public transport for free.

The government says the offer has been presented to the Australian Midwifery and Nursing Federation as part of enterprise bargaining negotiations and is also being offered to other hospital workers.

In compensation for offering reduced healthcare worker parking, the Greens this morning voted in support of the government’s legislation to prevent major suburban shopping centres such as Westfield Tea Tree Plaza from introducing paid parking, securing its passage through parliament.

It follows a months-long dispute between health unions and the state government over a plan to reinstate hospital car parking fees which were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unions estimated that reintroducing the previous parking rate would have cost workers about $1300 each year at a time of surging cost-of-living pressures.

They also argued that the move was hypocritical given Labor had simultaneously pushed for free parking for retail workers.

Malinauskas this morning said the government had reached a “thoughtful, pragmatic outcome” following months of negotiations.

“This delivers the right outcome for healthcare workers, but at the same time ensures that we do have car parking spaces available for patients and loved ones for when they need it too,” he said.

“I’m very thankful for (Greens MLC) Robert Simms and the health unions for entering those negotiations over recent weeks and months.”

Simms said in compensation for lowering hospital worker parking fees, the Greens would support the government’s bill to ban paid parking at suburban shopping centres.

The bill passed the upper house this morning.

“This is a really important breakthrough that’s been reached here in the parliament,” Simms said.

“I’m really delighted with what the government has put on the table today. $2.50 car parking for hospital workers – that’s cheaper than a cup of coffee.”

The paid parking legislation only allows major suburban shopping centres with an area of more than 34,000 square-metres to introduce paid parking if they obtain approval from the relevant local council.

Its passing comes after Westfield Tea Tree Plaza this week shut a parking area adjacent to the O-Bahn bus interchange to prevent morning commuters from parking for free until 8.45am.

The Opposition’s planning spokesperson Michelle Lensink said hospital workers would get a “worse deal” under the legislation.

She criticised Labor for not supporting Liberal amendments to make parking free for hospital workers.

“This piece of legislation, this initiative of this Labor Government is really going to just create a mess of hypocrisy and different rules,” she said.

Lyell McEwin Hospital cardiac physiologist Josh Rose said prior to the deal being secured, workers at his hospital would have been charged $6 a day for parking.

He said health workers felt “under siege over the last few years” and the deal was “morale boosting”.

“In an ideal world, it would be lovely for it (parking) to be free,” he said.

“We are on a much higher wage on average than retail workers, so it is more swallowable for us.

“2011 levels are pretty good – we don’t live in fantasy land.”