Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Paying for an Island Jaunt


Paying for an Island Jaunt: Every summer, the number of people on the island explodes Bruni, straining the social infrastructure and visitor facilities.

The permanent resident population of about 700 people swells to up to 10,000 in January and February.
In 2008 the Kingborough Council's Bruny Island Advisory Committee proposed a visitor levy to fund visitor facilities, which the council subsequently backed.
But the council still failed to achieve any progress in improving the collection, which will go to the island by ferry fares debt visitors, including people from the mainland of Tasmania.

The tax is not proposed to be paid by Bruni residents and taxpayers.

Kingborough Mayor Berry, who shack on the North Bruni, said the island community decided that it would be the best way to finance public infrastructure.

He said the tax was also supported by the report of SGS Economics and Planning, which considered options for funding public infrastructure and tourism on the island.

But Tourism Tasmania, which paid half the cost of the report opposes the idea of the collection, seems to be treating it as a frightening tourists away and harm tourism.

"It was like trying to cause a mess with a feather, nothing happened, he went into a deep, dark alley in the government of [Tasmania]," Bury said.

According to him, the inhabitants of the island did not believe enough money has been spent on infrastructure improvements, but said, Kingborough Council spent more on the island than he received from the bid.

"The smaller the community is more it is on my head, I'm not complaining that," Berry said.

"It happens when you have a small, isolated community."

Council is not only a person with infrastructure commitments around the island. Other departments of state government as good, including the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) to the ferry terminal facilities and maintenance Bruni Main Rd, as well as parks and game management for parks and reserves.

Berry said the issue was not raised, but as the infrastructure on the island has been improved and how it was financed.

At present, the return ferry fares for car users to return $ 28 ($ 33 ​​at peak times). Bruni Island residents and taxpayers pay about half that amount.

Managing Director of Ferry Bruni Island, Graham Phillips, declined to comment on the proposal to levy.

SGS Economics and Planning report identified three specific hot spots of concern to Roberts Point: the queue and the quality of visitor facilities including toilets. Neck: Crush, parking problems at night when people came to see the penguins. Adventure Bay: swamped with people every summer.

Berry said the fees to fund the visitor facilities and other infrastructure have been distributed on the islands around Australia, including Rottnest Island, Fraser Island and Lord Howe Island, where he called an "environmental tax".

Berry said the money raised from the tax must be "quarantined" for spending on Bruni.He said that it may be divided between the 50-50 board and DIER.

"I do not think people would mind if the money was spent properly," Berry said.

He said a tax of about $ 5 cars raise a reasonable amount of money.

Berry admitted that in some ways the money spent to improve tourism and other infrastructure will benefit local residents, who pay no tax, but said that in principle it would increase the experience for visitors.

The state government is not buying into a discussion of collection. He said that the establishment of tariffs on the island by ferry Bruni was a commercial decision for the operator of the ferry, and no DIER Kingborough Council may be able to impose or collect such fees.

The government says DIER continues to scheduled maintenance on the island and worked to update Bruni Main Rd.

However, it may be that the tax can be applied on a ferry operator in terms of changes to the contract with the company DIER, which subsidizes the cost of ferries.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Martin Luke said levy will not be very constructive way to increase the number of visitors to Bruni.

"Instead of looking at the call numbers of visitors, to look at this as an opportunity," he said.

"Is not it weird how Bruni has become the destination of southern Tasmania's tourist icon?"

Martin said the companies that helped to achieve this included Rob Pennicott to Bruni Island Cruises.

"I think you should be very careful with anything that could be perceived by some as an impediment to visit the island," he said.

"The cost of the ferry is a factor that some people you want to keep it as low as possible, not add to it.

"I really think it's dangerous for them to consider this matter."

Bruni Island Community Association president Jenny Boyer said the association supports tourism fees, but said that it clearly should not be imposed on the island residents and taxpayers.

"Most of the places that tourists think tourists are great because they bring so much to their island, while Bruni people think:" Do we need so many tourists? "Boyer said.

She said the ferry during the summer struggling to cope with the tourists, but if the ferry service has been improved, it can create more problems.

"I think most people here are anti-tourist infrastructure, because it does not meet the requirement," Boyer said.

"We have an explosion in the infrastructure before we get further explosion in tourism."

She said when the idea of a levy on tourists was first raised; it was only for Kingborough Council assets such as public toilets, picnic areas and shelters.
Boyer said she would not object if money raised from a tourist levy was shared with DIER for spending on the island.
She said public toilets on the island needed upgrading, including those at Cape Bruny Lighthouse, part of South Bruny National Park, which is one of the most frequently visited places. Other problems included the toilets at Lunawanna Hall and Alonnah behind the council offices.
Boyer said laybys were also needed in some places for vehicles to pull over, such as at Bull Bay, where tourists often stopped in the middle of the road to take photos.

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