At a glance
- Northern Hospital Epping
- 185 Cooper Street, Epping. Free for the first 30 minutes, then $8.50 up to one hour, and a daily maximum of $26.00 (as of November 2026)
- Mernda Community Hospital
- 35 Flourmill Drive, Mernda. Free for the first 30 minutes, then $5.30 up to two hours, and a daily maximum of $11.50 (as of November 2026)
- Concession and pension rate
- $8.00 at both hospitals; show your ticket and concession card before you leave
- Who it’s for
- Patients, visitors and carers driving to either hospital
- What to do now
- Use the fee tables below to compare the two sites; the concession steps and the drop-off points are set out in the sections that follow
- Last checked
- Saturday 7 November 2026, against the Northern Health location pages for both hospitals
- Not yet confirmed
- The “Parking Infringement Notice” page that both hospital pages link to returns “Page not found”, so the infringement rules are not covered here
Parking at Northern Hospital Epping is free for the first 30 minutes and costs up to $26.00 a day, while Mernda Community Hospital charges up to $11.50 a day. Both hospitals are run by Northern Health, and both list the same $8.00 concession and pension rate. This guide sets out the fees, the concession steps, the drop-off points and the public transport links as Northern Health publishes them.
How much does parking cost at Northern Hospital Epping?
Northern Health lists these charges for the Epping car park, which is at 185 Cooper Street, Epping VIC 3076. The hospital’s phone number is (03) 8405 8000.
| Time parked | Charge |
|---|---|
| 0 to 30 minutes | Free |
| 30 minutes to 1 hour | $8.50 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $15.50 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $17.50 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $21.00 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $23.00 |
| 5 hours or more | $26.00 |
| Maximum daily charge | $26.00 |
| Lost ticket | $26.00 |
| Concession and pension | $8.00 |
The longest stay on the table is “5+ hours”, and it costs the same as the maximum daily charge, $26.00. Northern Health says it provides free parking for dialysis patients and for families and carers of aged care residents.
How much does parking cost at Mernda Community Hospital?
Mernda Community Hospital is at 35 Flourmill Drive, Mernda VIC 3754, and its phone number is (03) 8776 0100. Its car park is cheaper than Epping’s at every length of stay.
| Time parked | Charge |
|---|---|
| 0 to 30 minutes | Free |
| 30 minutes to 2 hours | $5.30 |
| 2 to 4 hours | $9.30 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $11.30 |
| More than 5 hours | $11.50 |
| Maximum daily charge | $11.50 |
| Lost ticket | $11.50 |
| Concession and pension | $8.00 |
The same free parking applies for dialysis patients and for families and carers of aged care residents. Mernda’s dialysis service runs Monday to Saturday, according to the hospital’s page.
How does the concession rate work?
Both hospitals charge $8.00 for concession and pension holders. At each one you show your parking ticket and your concession card before you leave the hospital, but the place you show them differs:
| Hospital | Where to show the ticket and card |
|---|---|
| Northern Hospital Epping | The Car Park Office from 10am to 6pm; Reception outside Car Park Office hours |
| Mernda Community Hospital | Reception |
Northern Health also says it offers concession parking rates for people who can show financial hardship, and that the person’s healthcare team at the hospital can give more information.
Where are the disabled bays and drop-off points?
The two hospitals describe these the same way:
- Disabled parking bays are at the front of the car park.
- Drop-off points are at the main entrance.
- Wheelchairs can be borrowed from Reception if you need one.
Northern Health also publishes a wayfinding map for Northern Hospital Epping, dated July 2026, on its location page. That PDF could not be read for this guide, so the layout of the grounds is not described here.
Which buses and trains reach the hospitals?
Northern Health names the routes, but not the timetables:
| Hospital | What Northern Health lists |
|---|---|
| Northern Hospital Epping | Bus routes 358, 555, 556, 577, 569 and 901 stop out the front |
| Mernda Community Hospital | 10 minutes’ walk to Mernda Station, which has the Mernda train line and bus routes 381, 386, 387, 388, 389 and 390 |
Neither page gives the time between buses, the walking time from a stop to a ward, or a nearest train station for Epping. Those details are not in the sources used here.
What are the visiting hours and which services are on site?
| Item | Northern Hospital Epping | Mernda Community Hospital |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting hours | 8am to 8pm every day; Maternity 2pm to 8pm; Wards 8 and 23, and ICU, 12pm to 8pm | 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Emergency Department | Yes, 24 hours a day, adults and children | None on site |
| Urgent Care | Not listed on the location page | 12pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday |
| Pharmacy | Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 9am to 1pm | Northern Health scripts only; open Mondays only |
| Other hours listed | Henry’s Cafe, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, weekends 7:30am to 5pm | Outpatients 8:30am to 5pm and dental 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday; pathology collections 8am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays |
Only one visitor at a time is allowed in the Emergency Department at Epping, unless there are compassionate reasons, which the Nurse In Charge decides.
Where does the Emergency Department fit in?
Northern Health says that if a condition is life-threatening and the person cannot get to the nearest hospital, they should call 000. The Emergency Department at Northern Hospital Epping is described as the busiest in Victoria, caring for over 300 people a day, and it treats adults and children 24 hours a day. On arrival, patients are triaged and asked to wait, and those with the most urgent needs are seen first. Northern Health says waiting times can be significant when it is particularly busy.
For non-life-threatening problems, the same page points to two options. The Virtual Emergency Department is a video service open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in Victoria, and it needs a device with a camera. Urgent Care Clinics offer free walk-in care seven days a week, with no Medicare card, appointment or referral. The Northern Health clinic at Mernda Community Hospital is open 12pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
Sources
- Northern Health — Northern Hospital Epping (parking, concession, buses, pharmacy; checked 7 November 2026)
- Northern Health — Mernda Community Hospital (parking, transport, services; checked 7 November 2026)
- Northern Health — Our locations (addresses, phone numbers, visiting hours; checked 7 November 2026)
- Northern Health — Urgent and emergency care (checked 7 November 2026)
Featured image: Northern Hospital Epping (photo: Kazadams / CC BY-SA 3.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Northern Health. Fees and hours can change; the hospital pages above are the authority.