QPWS Attitude

Hi,

Yes the system is a bit strage but it does have some good points. I had a huge blue with a guy a while back who had moved from the beach to a site we had booked to put our camper on. When we arrived the site was taken and he wasn't budging.

Eventually he got some persuasion and was made move. You can't have it both ways in a system that takes bookings IMO. Freshwater has such huge pressure on it nowadays in terms of numbers of peple using the area that it had to get a bit better organised than it was.

The stupid thing they have done is to do away with being able to book an actual site by number.

That is not the end of it as the current booking system is being rolled out all over the place at present.

Long John.

We were up there just recently, and just by chance two people from the
Noosa Shire Council and National Parks, asked us to fill in a Questioner
regarding, how many times a year we go there, would we be prepaired to
pay a permit to drive on the beach,reducing the amount of camp sites on the
beach, and paying in advance for sites.

They intend to spend dollars on improvements such as a Timber/ logged
access near the first entrance North Shore end, more Rubbish Collection Points,
and, tighter control on the IDIOTS, they reckon if you have to pay each time you
drive on the beach, less people / vehicles will go there, reducing wear & tear
and more chance of our( Grand Kids Driving Up There.)

Cheers
Daza.

Can I offer some advice - it's free but it's the same advice I give out every day so take it for what it is worth.

Firstly, put your concerns in writing to QPWS and give them sometime to respond - a minimum of two weeks. Address it to the Director General (or what ever title the Senior Public Servant holds there in Qld). When you get the reply it may answer your questions - also if they are unaware of certain issues then they can not take steps to fix them.

Secondly, if you do not get a reply or believe that the reply is inadequate then make a complaint and forward a copy of your original letter onto the Qld State Ombudsman and have them chase the matter up for you - that's want they are there for. They have powers and influence to find out why things are done and if possible they will assist to make recommendations if they find that the response / actions are not justified.

Hope this helps.

Karl

I have written good letters to the government before stating my problem with the system before, but ive about had enough and given up! They always just write back saying "yes we appreciate your comment" and then insult your intellegence with really stupid comments and reasons. They dont care or listen at all, they just go about running the show the best way thats cheapest and easiest for them.

Someone quoted that you dont have to book any particular campsite? As long as you book your ok to take which ever you can find? If thats true then that has taken alot of problems away:)

And while your at it, how about their stupid proposal to close off the beach at Hook Pt on Fraser "to provide a family friendly camping area"? Who in their right mind would actually want to camp at Hook PT? Especially with kids? Have to be the most dangerous beach on the island.

Place is just getting too regulated..... ;-(((

longJohn, as a caravaner who hopes to tour Qld eventually, i have been concerned at the changes to access to NPs.

We travel on an unplanned and manner without deadlines (that is the only way to relax after a very busy and regimented schedule of jobs). We stop when we want to, and only if we like the place. If we have to pay for camping before visiting a NP, we'll most likely give it a miss, or just take a quick drive through and stop further down the road. The system is anti-tourism. I haven't been to Qld at all since these changes, so can't really voice my opposition to your authorities, but certainly will if we are reprimanded for stopping for the night on the roadside because we couldn't just pay for a park campsite when we got there.

There are still a lot of NP and State Forest camp areas in Qld where you don't have to book. But the popular ones where there is a lot of pressure, that is the trend.

I guess their problem is in peak times, they won't know how much space there is and could accept booking and payment when there is no space avialable, if people can just 'rock up'.

A few need booking durinig peak times, but not other times.

One of the funnier experiences we had was at Porcupine Gorge. It is in the middle of nowhere. No phone, mobile or internet available within 60 or 70 KM. We rolled up and there was a big sign at the entrance. 'To book a site at this camp ground please go to www. etc or phone this number'. Yeh, right!

There was no honour system in place either. So we camped for free. We wandered around the camp ground and spoke to the other 3 or 4 families. Everyone had done the same thing. All happy to pay, but no way to do it. And no sign on the road where there is mobile coverage to suggest you call and book.

One of the frustrating things with the new system is that you can not change. Couple of years ago we booked and paid for camping at Waddy Point on Fraser. Think we had booked about 6 days. After 2 days, Kathryn wanted to move further south. We went to the ranger station and they apologised, but said you had to ring Brisbane. Fortunately there is a public phone (no mobile coverage). When we rang, they said no worries, you can go anywhere you like as most of the camp areas are pretty empty. But you have to pay again. We can not transfer you payment from one site to another. Being honest we paid up. Could easily have just moved. In the unlikely event of being sprung, we had a good story. Already paid; just moved for good reason.

well i just sent a long letter to them. I hope they actualy read it.
I bet they do nothing!

I'm curious about something that hasn't been raised yet and that is the matter of office hours; I'm pretty sure here in NSW, national parks offices aren't manned on the weekend so if you decide to go camping on Saturday morning there is no way to book a site? Is this the same in QLD? You have to pre-plan everything; even a quick Saturday over-nighter? Aren't people that are caught out by lack of info/planning/etc at a disadvantage and aren't a percentage of them going to break the rules because they don't see it as their fault?

I'm sure there are many reasons why NP's have their rules but I can't get past the idea that our ancestors have sat around fires for thousands of years communing with nature and contemplating their existence while watching the stars, yet now we must pay for that privilege and not have the fire in many places. There's something quite sad about that.

WHAT are the penalties

Bill F

My family and I spent new year on Fraser what a great place. We arrived at moon point late afternoon as we were the first car on the barge we were last off as we were waiting we had a few laughs one hire car had a couple of goes before the captain told them to drive it like they stole it, as they took off again a parks car drove straight in front of him well the captain went off rightly so anyway we drove on to the beech and onto the track and were promptly pulled over by this parks bloke and he asked us were our permit was I said on the windscreen and pointed to it, He proceeded to tell us off and suggested we put it were he could see it, I told him i put it were it says on the back of it to put it and because of his attitude told him to f--- off and drove away. Not 5 minutes latter a large tour vehicle all most let me get out of the way I was towing a trailer as he barged past yelling there's another one behind me he has right of way i told him to f--- off to .
We then went about for three days having a ball, we will be back at the end of the year may be not holiday time.
The problem with these people is they don't understand without tourism they wouldn't have a job.
We have the same problem with spark's and wild fires in Kakadu although they have just had a big clear out of dead wood

It's a stupid system. If you really want to confuse them, ring the 1300 number and then tell them you don't have a credit card! The stupid thing about the system is that you can't book at many of the Rangers Offices. For example to camp at Charlie Moreland, the ranger office is about 5 km away on the road in; but you can't book in there. There is a public phone near the office where you can ring up to book in but only with a credit card.
We spoke with the ranger last time we camped there and he intimated that they weren't impressed with the new system. I know there are a lot of people who now just sneak in after the rangers finish for the day and leave before their rounds the following day. This system is actually costing the government in lost revenue
Peter

LOL how stupid is that!!! That actually made me happier, knowing they are loosing revenue due to their own stupidity. Actually this system maybe not as bad as it sounds, as long as all the rangers hate it, they will probably waive the fine if you they catch you without a permit, if you have a good reason. I have already been forgiven once for not having a permit at the beach at double island point because I didnt know the honour boxes where gone, back then the rangers would issue you one on the spot.