Desert Parks Pass Stupidity

Submitted: Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 17:51
ThreadID: 21779 Views:3289 Replies:9 FollowUps:6
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I was amused today by the demonstration of Government stupidity and inflexibility, when attempting to renew my Desert Parks Pass.

Rather than describe it separately, I have included a copy of the email sent to the Desert Parks Office by me today, to identify their stupidity.

To: desertparks@saugov.sa.gov.au

Congratulations on the short-sightedness of the Desert Parks Office, Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australian Government. You have demonstrated how the inflexibility of your regulations ends up affecting potential expenditure on environmental facilities.

I attended an RAA Office today (04/04/2005) to renew my Desert Parks Pass at the reduced cost of $60.00.
My previous pass expired on Thursday last week, (30/03/2005) but I have been unable to renew until today, due to shift work commitments.

On contacting the DPP Office for authorisation, the RAA Lass was advised that as the Pass was not current, it could not be renewed.

Well guess what? YOU HAVE LOST INCOME!

I have no plans to revisit one of the Parks in the foreseeable future, but thought that by keeping my Pass current; I would be assisting the Desert Parks Office by providing the additional income of $60.00 per year anyway.
Now let’s assume that my next excursion to the Desert region will be in 5 years time. That would have been $300.00 extra that I will now NOT be paying.
I will simply pay $90.00 for a new Pass at the time I need it.

The rigidity and inflexibility of this Department does not actually surprise me, it is merely a reflection on other Department inefficiency within the Government realm.

Once again, CONGRATULATIONS.
Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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Reply By: Brew69(SA) - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 18:21

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 18:21
What a laugh Bill.......and i am always quick to fend off people sledging South Australia. Go your hardest people as our govt need a big kick up the ass. What sort of govt does not want your money??????? (and i have always been a labor man)
AnswerID: 105126

Reply By: Nudenut - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 18:31

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 18:31
send a copy to your elected member of parlimenet and follow up till you get a reply.
AnswerID: 105129

Reply By: lindsay - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 19:01

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 19:01
Sandman , As a regular visitor to the deserts I think the Desert pass is the biggest rip off that has ever been imposed on a certain section of the community . Why ,when you have had passes in the past and do not renew on a yearly basis do you have to have all the maps and other stuff in your pass folder each time you purchase one? Can't we be given a different folder with less stuff in it than the normal pass with only the recent amendments? I have bought 6 or more passes and each time they get dearer and I get sick of the collection of maps. On the positive some of the park areas have improved facilities however, I have found that a lot of the staff do not have a good knowledge of the areas and in some cases do not care. I was in receipt of some directions from a parks ranger a couple of years ago that were quite wrong and could have led to a serious situation. In 2003 we were at innaminka and flooded in with some roads closed, the rangers there were absolutely useless and were grizzling about the need for a helicopter to survey the roads ( one had his rotary wing licence). They, nor parks could not give any info on roads or weather to the large amount of people there, nor could VKS get any info. Its was a real stuff up with people stranded all over the place. They are a Government beaurocracy that need to be more customer focused, but why should they? They don't have to.
AnswerID: 105139

Follow Up By: duncs - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 20:39

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 20:39
But if you compare it to a NSW National Parks Pass I thik it is great value.

In NSW your pass consits of a sticker for the windscreen, that's it nothing more, no information, no maps, nothing.

Oh and last time I priced one, which was some years ago, to get access to all the parks was going to cost in excess of $100. Expensive sticker.

Now maybe that has changed, as I said last time I looked was years ago, but I'll bet it is still dearer than SA.

Duncs
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FollowupID: 362295

Follow Up By: Member - Smocky (NSW) - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 19:41

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 19:41
G'day Duncs,

Bought one last week. All parks EXCEPT Kosciosko was $63 from memory. And yep, that was for a sticker that they even misprinted my rego on. This also doesn't get you into Jervis Bay which is another $25 per year. My window's filling up with expensive stickers!!!!

Bought it up at Munmora or something like that on Central Coast. Absolutely the smallest NP I've ever seen. And almost all sealed roads.

I reckon the SA pass with the maps and things sounds like a good idea :-).

Cheers,
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FollowupID: 362435

Follow Up By: KiwiAngler - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 19:44

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 19:44
I am a strong supporter of most of what the Parks services does. dont agree with everything but in GENERAL terms I think you guys get good value for money.
Take my word for it you do not see toilets, bbq, benches, toilet paper etc in all that many National Parks in NZ. Sure the main ones that are visited by the tourists get a reasonable amount of attention ( probably get stolen if they were :-)))
How many of you have come across some patch of mown grass with all the above facilities in the middle of no-where? I know I have.

If you paid $100 'some years ago' then you will be glad to here NPWS have reduced the cost down to $85. You gotta be happy with that. Not too many organisations have reduced costs to that level that I am aware of.

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Which+annual+pass+should+I+buy
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FollowupID: 362438

Reply By: Willem - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 19:18

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 19:18
Hmmmm Mine is due this month. Must ring and find out when exactly it expires.

I deal with Port Augusta Dept of E and H, and while things are confusing from time to time the ladies are ever so friendly and sort discrepancies out. One year they had run out of stickers and gave me the following years stickers. No fuss. Hahahaha!

Hey it is just a tax we have to pay. Have been renewing for the past how many years.... I don't know. Also buy the Statewide Pass which is a bonus. Now they have split the two which means one can buy each one as you need it.

I find dealing with 3rd parties for a DPP too troublesome and opt to get it at the coalface(if you can call it that)
AnswerID: 105146

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 21:00

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 21:00
They would have read 1 line and pressed delete.
AnswerID: 105183

Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 21:39

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 21:39
Read one line, objected to the outburst, contacted a supervisor who would take the troublesome email before a committee which would determine that the email should be deleted, the supervisor would then have to council and train the pleb in the art of pushing the delete button, all at a cost to the taxpayer of about $10,000... Did I miss anything?
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FollowupID: 362304

Follow Up By: Wizard1 - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 11:57

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 11:57
Would have read the first line, gone to the team leader about the "abusive tone of the email" who would have consulted a supervisor and then been put on stress leave for six months

The department getting additional funding to research and develop strategies to reduce the "stress leave" occurences within the department..............

Yes minister!!!!!!!

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FollowupID: 362359

Reply By: Richard - Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 22:27

Monday, Apr 04, 2005 at 22:27
Bugger,

Just checked mine and it expired 1 April. Going to need it in July so will phone them and see what happens.
AnswerID: 105209

Reply By: Member - W.Wallace - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 12:48

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 12:48
Mine had expired in January & I renewed it 2 weeks ago for the renewal price no probs.
They give you 2 months leeway on the date of renewal, but when you do it goes from the original date ie mine's dated Jan 06 not March.
Sounds like the person you spoke to at the RAA is wrong.
AnswerID: 105262

Reply By: Member - Bigbear - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 13:02

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 13:02
Hi Sand Man
Just renewed my park pass in WA and all I got was 2 stickers for $55. I guess at least we get the choice of 2 vehicles we can nominate. Over Easter we went to a NP and the ranger who stopped near us to blow up his tyres didn't even bother to check if we had passes or not. There was 8 vehicles in our group and some had stickers & some didn't. Makes you wonder a bit.

Bigbear
AnswerID: 105265

Follow Up By: BenSpoon - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 18:17

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 18:17
In all the times Ive been in parks i've never been checked. Its only when the ranger comes around to the 'cash-crop' style over crowded camp sites (eg nanga) where Ive been checked.

I figure the main benefit to the sign in/paying admission side of things is that someone can see that your car went into the park on one date and hasnt come back out even a week later and alarm bells may ring.
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FollowupID: 362409

Reply By: Crackles - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 22:01

Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005 at 22:01
Sorry Sandman but let me get this straight. You wanted to pay the South Australian Government $300 over the next 5 years for Desert Parks Pass's even though you have no intention of going there......................It seems to me they did you a favour & should call them back to thank them LOL
Is this why Jackaroo drivers can't afford real 4x4s? ;-))
Cheers Craig...........
AnswerID: 105347

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