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Vic Parks Camping Fee Proposal 6-Feb-2014 At 4:05:52 PM Sabu

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Just got a reply from my local member who supplied the following information from Minister Smith's Office:

"Campgrounds and roofed accommodation in parks allow visitors to access and enjoy Victoria’s wonderful natural environment and enhance the social and economic benefits provided by parks. It is important to provide longer-term financial sustainability for camping and roofed accommodation services.

The former Brumby Labor Government left Victorians with a $178 million black hole in funding for our national parks. The figure was confirmed in a Treasury review which was actually ordered by the previous Government, so it was clearly aware of the cost pressures facing Parks Victoria. The former Government was advised multiple times that if action were not taken camping and accommodation facilities were at risk of falling into disrepair. The Victorian Coalition Government is taking action to ensure that this does not happen and that Victorians can enjoy these facilities into the future.

The proposed fee structure for camping and roofed accommodation will make sure that the costs of providing and maintaining safe, visitor friendly facilities and services are sustainable and affordable for campers. The proposed fees will reflect the costs of managing campsites, as even the most basic camp site requires periodic maintenance to ensure it is safe, accessible and to minimise impacts on the nearby environment.

All revenue generated by the proposed fees will be fully reinvested back into providing camping and accommodation services in Victoria's national parks.

As part of the Regulatory Impact Statement process, it was important that the public had the opportunity to have their say many submissions were received. The Minister will consider submissions before reaching a determination. "