Source : the age
Some popular campgrounds near Sydney could have their prices doubled or even tripled under a proposed simplified pricing structure for national parks bookings.
A consultation paper issued by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) last week argued a new system was needed to ensure “fair and equitable” pricing for its 365 campgrounds across the state.
The Basin campground in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in January this year.Credit: James Brickwood
National Parks Association of NSW chief executive Gary Dunnett said he would review the proposal in more detail but backed the need for reform.
“At the moment, there’s almost a different fee in every different park across the state, so having some certainty there is a really good thing,” Dunnett said.
Parks Victoria has made camping free, but NPWS argued this would worsen the persistent problem of “ghost bookings”. This is where people book campsites but don’t show up, a problem reported in Victoria this Easter weekend. The consultation paper also rejected a first come, first served system on the basis it would result in campers setting up equipment days before their intended stay to hold a spot.
There are now more than 50 million visits to the state’s national parks every year, the consultation paper says, including 1.8 million overnight campground stays in 2023-24.
The new system organises campgrounds into tiers based on facilities. A basic clearing in the forest will be free, while those with pit toilets would be $13 in low season and $22 during a 90-day high season. The highest tier, with picnic and barbeque facilities, shelters, flushing toilets and hot showers would be $54 in low season and $89 in high season.
While some campgrounds currently have a per-person price or a surcharge for extra people, the proposal is a flat fee with no booking fee for up to six people (including four adults), to encourage friends to stay together rather than spreading out. There would also be discounts for smaller sites.
The changes mean sharp price rises for a number of popular campgrounds near Sydney, especially during the summer months.
For example, Cattai Campground in the Hawkesbury currently costs $24.60 per night for the base rate of up to two adults or $36.90 for a family of four, including booking fees. (You can have up to six people, but each additional adult is $12 and each child is $6). Under the new structure it would cost $89 per night in high season and $54 in low season for the site.
Bonnie Vale in Royal National Park would also cost $89 in high season and $54 in low season under the new structure, up from a base rate of $34.85 or $52.28 for a family of four.
The table published by NPWS indicates that the proposed low-season prices are similar to the current average prices, while the proposed high-season prices are much higher. Prices have not risen since 2017, so the consultation paper also outlines what current prices would be if they had been indexed to inflation.
However, Dunnett said the published averages “mask a huge variation from park to park, from region to region”, so standardising prices would result in “some absolute winners and losers”.
“The principle of linking the fees to the level of services is right, but there’s more debate to be had about what the price points are,” he said. “At the moment, they do seem a little bit high, but the progression is right.”
NPWS is also proposing more generous refund conditions – up to 80 per cent three days before and 50 per cent beyond that – to encourage people to cancel if they can’t make it.
An NPWS spokesperson said all feedback on the consultation would be considered.
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