The City of Subiaco mayor is pushing to expand a parking permit program for families with children in King Edward Memorial Hospital’s neo-natal intensive care unit.

The proposed changes would expand the program from 20 to 40 weekly permits, but the plan is facing pushback from the council.

Mayor Penny Taylor told Gareth Parker there’s no good reason the council should object to the motion.

“It’s not a big ask, we should be able to say yes to that,” she said.

Concerns have been raised by councillors that expanding the parking program would cause traffic congestion in the area.

“These people are parking here anyway, the families are at their most vulnerable time, and this is something really simple that the council can do to show support for these families to really alleviating the fear of a parking fine,” she said.

“I’m hoping councillors can consider these matters by putting themselves in the shoes of the families involved.”

Co-founder of Helping Little Hands, Kate Crasswaller, said there’s a huge need to expand the program.

“There is a line up every week for the families to be able to get one of those passes, and those passes just mean they are able to park all day in four streets around the hospital,” she said.

“It doesn’t mean that parking is always available on those streets for them, but it does mean they don’t have to run out.”

She said at any one time there is up to 100 babies in the neo-natal intensive care unit.

“This wouldn’t bring any additional cars to the area, it would just alleviate the stress for those parents.”

Press PLAY to hear the full story 

(Photo: iStock by Getty Images.)