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Vic Parks Camping Fee Proposal 27-Oct-2013 At 9:46:27 PM JamesMc

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Well I've taken the time to read the RIS and surprise surprise, it's a crock. Just thinking about Basic & Very Basic Camping, Table A1 has the following annual costs..
General expenses (labour and fuel) $1.2M
Recurrent costs $0.16M (Much more for High standard )\
Incremental costs (Booking system etc) $3.5M
Other overheads (depreciation etc) $0.64M

Being a man with a very small brain I may be mistaken but I think this means they are proposing a $3.5 million system to collect fees for a service which costs $1.5 million to provide. Mind you, the RIS is too badly written to be able to tell what is a recurrent cost and what is a one off cost.

There's other problems too. A RIS is supposed to canvas a range of options (and MUST canvas non-regulatory options). There is no consideration of controlling costs - like why does it cost $1.5 million per year to provide basically zero service.

The RIS refers to a study of classes of campers and their attitudes to paying to camp. On class is "Confirmed wilderness campers" and I probably fall into that group. It asserts that we "feel that camping should be subsidised because State and National Parks are community goods..". I reckon this is a misrepresentation of what many of us think. I don't have a problem with "user pays" - it implies "non user doesn't pay" when no service is being provided. And if I camp in the wilderness, no service is provided by government to support my CAMPING. (Being there is arguably a different matter - that's what an entry fee is for.)

Speaking of which, there is no consideration of charging entry fees to parks, which would mean that everyone who uses parks contributes, not just the minority who camps.

Anyway, anyone who wants to respond to the RIS might consider the points above.

JamesMc