By KATH GANNAWAY
Park fees soar for individuals and pairs…
A RESTRUCTURE of fees at Upper Yarra Reservoir Park has put camping there out of reach for people visiting on their own, or in pairs, according to park-user Brett Treweek.
Mr Treweek, a regular Melbourne visitor to the park, said the fee restructure could impact on Upper Yarra businesses.
Parks Victoria however says the restructure was part of a state-wide review of the state’s 680 campsites which resulted in changes at 197 locations, including Upper Yarra Park.
Mr Treweek told the Mail that when he and two friends camped recently they were expecting to pay around $18 for the two nights, but were advised the fees had changed, and ended up paying $120.
“Since I have been using the facility, the fee has been between $5 to $7, but the new pricing system is based on a minimum fee of almost $44, plus $9.20 per night for more than one vehicle – that’s an increase of more than 400 per cent.
A Parks Victoria spokesperson said the revised fee structure came into effect on 1 July this year after community consultation in 2013.
She said camping and accommodation fees across the state had not changed significantly in the past decade and the fee structure did not therefore represent the true cost of maintaining and providing the service.
Upper Yarra was designated in the ‘high’ category in terms of fees because of the facilities, such as showers, provided.
There is currently a small fee reduction to $37.80 in the lead-up to repairs to the shower blocks. They will be closed from 1 December for repairs.
Parks Victoria has confirmed the new structure charges $44 per site, per night, for up to six people, including one vehicle.
“The standard of facilities and maintenance across these sites would have suffered unless changes were made. The new fees will mean that campsites and roofed accommodation in parks and reserves can be maintained and serviced to the standards visitors expect,” the spokesperson said.
Fees will go into maintaining facilities across the state.
She said there were other parks within an hour of Upper Yarra Reservoir Park which were in the basic/very basic category such as Kurth Kiln Regional Park and Bunyip State Park near Gembrook where fees were from $11.30 to $13 per site for up to six people.
Mr Treweek, however, is calling on Parks Victoria to change what he believed was an unfair pricing system that favours larger groups, to a more equitable one.
“Smaller and more personal campers are highly disadvantaged,” he said.
“I have made many friendly contacts in the area and am saddened that I will no longer be using local goods and services that fuel their economy because I can no longer afford to have my healthy getaways to Upper Yarra park,” he said.
