I REFER to the story “Better Lake Burrendong experience”, July 19, 2012.
A new management trust will take over the running of Lake Burrendong in an effort to make the park “more efficient” and trade it out of administration.
This trading out of administration can only mean a hike in fees for Burrendong State Park patrons.
Be warned the new Trust for Burrendong State Park will comprise of people who make a living out of being on a paid Trust.
Member for Orange Andrew Gee says in the story “by introducing more efficient and professional management practices, the inland water holiday parks will be able to offer improved access, facilities and overall a better experience for visitors”. But who pays for this new professional management. The local people, of course, especially the siteholders whose fees have kept this state park afloat for years.
The families who do not have access to coastal beaches fishing and boating free of charge who now enjoy a bit of fishing, camping, or boating at a reasonable cost are about to pay dearly for the privilege of enjoying our inland waterways.
For 10 years up until 2005 I was on Lake Burrendong Trust. Under the then manager and Trust Burrendong was run efficiently and was known to be the best-run park in the state.
The administrator took over under the last government due to former Lands Minister Tony Kelly and his relationship with the State Park Trust who contributed to the downfall of our beautiful park by allowing illegal development, which resulted in court cases and compensation payouts.
You cannot beat a volunteer Trust with passion. A good volunteer Trust can be efficient as well as keep the prices down to allow local families to enjoy the state park.
A volunteer Trust can also be efficient and can also introduce professional management practices if they are prepared to hike up the prices and eventually put the park out of reach for ordinary families.
Up until now Burrendong was always affordable for families for a weekend to enjoy, whereas they could not afford a trip to the coast for the weekend to get the kids out on the water for a bit of water sport or fishing.
My husband and I came to live in this area 40 years ago and have had some memorable times at Burrendong with our children and now our grandchildren.
I am pleased to have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed Burrendong at its best, but extremely sad to realise that Burrendong will soon be out of reach for ourselves and other families in the area.
Yes I am sure the paid Trust will introduce a more efficient and professional management, but they will have to cover their own wages for a start. This will come at a huge cost to the people who are passionate about our beautiful park.
Our state parks will soon only be available to the wealthy.
Rosslyn Joseph,
Dubbo
