Cars Toll Unhealthy

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 10, 2009

KYLIE WILLIAMS - HEALTH

HUNTER New England Health Service staff wrote off 33 cars in the 2006-07 financial year but most of them were damaged in the June 2007 Pasha Bulker storm.

During the last financial year, the area health service staff wrote off eight cars.

The NSW Self Insurance Corporation, a government-owned entity responsible for ensuring most government activities, released the figures after the state Opposition submitted a Freedom of Information request. The state's public servants wrote off 235 government cars last financial year, incurring $34.5 million in insurance claims.

Hunter New England Health chief executive Dr Nigel Lyons said 28 of the 33 cars written off in 2006-07 were damaged in the June 2007 Pasha Bulker storm.

"Most of those were community health vehicles parked in our community health centre in Hunter Street," he said.

"The car park is in the basement below street level and a lot of water got in there."

Of other cars written off that year, hail extensively damaged two in other storms, two hit livestock or wildlife and one was in an accident.

Other reasons Hunter New England Health cars were usually written off included vandalism or theft, he said.

There are more than 1400 vehicles in the service's fleet, travelling an average total of 22 million kilometres a year.

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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