Once the western end of the new carpark is finished, the new helipad will go into the old carpark on Deighton Street, behind the hospital morgue and opposite the Renal Unit.

Health Minister Cameron Dick and MP Robbie Katter announced the new carpark and helipad in November 2016.

The helipad should be finished by the end of July, and will give LifeFlight helicopters quicker access to the Emergency Department, said the Health Service’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, Barbara Davis.

The patients and visitors’ carpark nearest to the hospital will include four disability car parks and most of the carparks will be undercover, Ms Davis said.

“In addition, the small carpark at the hospital entrance on Camooweal Street will be designated patient parking, so we’re keeping patient and visitor parking as close to the main doors as possible,” Ms Davis said.

On announcement it was thought there would be 65 new carparks, but the demolition of two old buildings have made way for an additional 13 spaces.

Acting Director of Facility Management at the NWHHS, Scott Lithgow, said local contractors were employed for the job:

“Mount Isa City Council was awarded the excavation and concreting contract for the carpark, with Clancy’s Electrical installing the lighting, Too Easy Carpentry putting up the perimeter fence, and Start Construction erecting the shade covers which would cover three quarters of the parks,” Mr Lithgow said.