South Australia’s Health Minister, John Hill, has said that the state’s heath budget could overrun by $99 million for the financial year.
According to ABC News, he blames the overspend on unforseen demand for health care, and a shortfall of $11 million in hospital parking revenue, with the protracted legal dispute over hospital parking fees adding to the problem.
The decision by the Public Service Association to pursue the introduction of car parking fees for the hospital staff, and the legal challenge against the paid hospital parking has meant a significant shortfall in the health budget. The appeal (dismissed by the Industrial Relations Court, see our previous post here), now been lodged in the Supreme Court, with the argument that the budget decision breaches enterprise agreements.