Copeton Waters State Park (NSW) - rip off

justcruisin01 · Guru

Copeton Waters State Park (NSW) - rip off

Dunmowin · Guru

Just a warning to GNs. We travelled the approximately 50km from Bigara towards Copeton Waters State Park for a picnic lunch, only to find on arrival to find that we had to pay $10.00 per vehicle to enter the park -

for what, the use of their theme park - no

mini golf - no

game of tennis - no

just to use a picnic table - yes.

$10.00, I don't think so, so we ate our sangers in the carpark, turned around and came back to the caravan.

Note, there are not picnic areas or toilets between Bingar and Copeton Waters.

old briney · Senior Member

LAKE BURRENDONG HAS JUST DONE THE SAME THING

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Some of these state parks seem to be a whole different thing to National Parks, and a Parks Pass (free to pensioners in NSW) wont get you in. Why is there 2 types of parks... maybe theres more?
Yes O B we found Lake Burrendong were charging lotsa $ last time we went there, didnt go in.

tezza · Senior Member

Maybe it is to help maintain and manage the parks! surely it is not unreasonable to ask the people who are actually enjoying the park to contribute to it's upkeep. I know they are taxpayer funded which most of us are or were but maybe the people who do not go to such places should complain about there taxes paying for places for us to enjoy. When alls said and done $10 would not pay a mans wages for 1/2 an hour or buy much more than a hamburger so is it to steep a price to pay to try and keep some small parts of our great country as near as possible to their original state.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Normally I would agree with you Tezza, and up till they made it free to pensioners we were always happy to pay for an annual Parks Pass for National Parks in NSW.
Seems they arent all covered by that, I dont understand why.

Dunmowin · Guru

I have just sent the following email to Copeton Waters:

Just wanted to let you know that we travelled from Bingara the other day to Copeton Waters State Park for a picnic lunch, only to find on our arrival that there was at $10.00 per vehicle entry fee. As Seniors, this is unnacceptable, we returned to Bingara for our lunch and toilet stop. This entry fee is not mentioned on your websitel. This information has been passed on to grey nomad forums.

cannylass · Senior Member

I never knew that we were there a few yrs back so it must be new

tiger5 · Senior Member

Just checked the state park site & it shows $10 a car
www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au/copeton_waters

Dunmowin · Guru

We camped there about 12 years ago, and I don't recall there being a day visit charge.

Dunmowin · Guru

tiger5 wrote:
Just checked the state park site & it shows $10 a car
www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au/copeton_waters

I used this site: http://www.copeton.com.au/

goinsoon · Guru

Dunmowin wrote:
Just a warning to GNs. We travelled the approximately 50km from Bigara towards Copeton Waters State Park for a picnic lunch, only to find on arrival to find that we had to pay $10.00 per vehicle to enter the park -
for what, the use of their theme park - no
mini golf - no
game of tennis - no
just to use a picnic table - yes.
$10.00, I don't think so, so we ate our sangers in the carpark, turned around and came back to the caravan.
Note, there are not picnic areas or toilets between Bingar and Copeton Waters.

Same with us, we drove back to the rangers office where the toilets were and had lunch. And guess what, we will never go back.

Boroma577 · Guru

I have camped at Copeton several times and really love it BUT I must admit I have never just stopped off for a picnic.

I agree $10 to have a picnic, maybe use the loo and enjoy the view is a bit much and certainly won't do anything to attract travellers back to stay.

jimricho · Guru

Locals "in the know" use the Northern Shores Reserve. Access is from Inverell via Auburn Vale Road.

day entry $4 per vehicle,

campsites $6 unpowered, $10 powered.

-- Edited by jimricho on Thursday 26th of January 2012 07:20:15 AM

ChiChi1 · Guru

I believe Wyangala Waters near Cowra is the same deal.

Turtle Trekers · Veteran Member

NSW State Parks and NSW National Parks are two different entities and run by two different State Government Departments. I do have a brochure somewhere that explains this difference but it is in a 'safe place' so I tried to look for it on the net. Unfortunately, most of the State Government Departments have been re-organised (along with their websites) in the last 10 months and I have been unable to find what I was looking for.
We went to Wyangala Dam a few months ago and they tried to charge us the $10 to launch our boat near the main wall. We were camping up the river a bit and had already paid their camp fees for the week. The lovely lady in the office did relent after a small discussion so all was good.

whiteman · Senior Member

Folks the whole Copeton Waters deal changed mid last year when they finished the park upgrade...at least thats what it is officially called.

We also got caught, flashed our Parks Card with no effect, tried to argue...err sorry discuss the matter at the point of entry with no luck, wrote, whinged,complained to all and sundry with no joy.

Well what goes around comes around and those morons who introduced their new pricing policy won`t have the last laugh.

Ohh...one final thing before I get off the soap box is that I for one really get p....d off with folk who tell me we should pay for the pleasures of spending time in our NP`s, what garbage !!, been paying taxes for over 50 years, but then if there is plenty of disposable in the household no probs eh !!

jimbo · Guru

Well said whiteman........I agree....I hope these fun Police and Fat cats are reading these glowing reports...I would like to see a few email addresses I could write too (Council ones )

Cruising Granny · Guru

Welcome to the forum Turtle Trekkers. Thanks for joining us. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Cruising Granny · Guru

The bureaucrats who make these decisions are never affected by the decisions they make.

whiteman · Senior Member

Jimbo try your local State member of parliament first as I`ve just done....fortunately for me he`s the right colour and a new member at that, so am hoping with some prodding he and others in the new government will let the winds of change blow through a few departments including the NPWS.

I knocked heads many years ago with Robin Kruck over the closure of Yalwal west of Nowra and lost, but so has she big time, just breaks my heart when justice is finally delivered...so patience is the key friends which is a trait in short supply with me when dealing with fools.

lilly31 · Guru

Lake Keepit between Tamworth and Gunnedah is same have charged $10.00 to go in for about 2 years i think ... I dont go there much any more i go to Chaffy Dam where is a donation at gate which i do if we all do it might stop the same thing happing there ...

Boroma577 · Guru

jimricho wrote:
Locals "in the know" use the Northern Shores Reserve. Access is from Inverell via Auburn Vale Road.
day entry $4 per vehicle,
campsites $6 unpowered, $10 powered.

Not pet friendly tho.....unless it has changed in recent times.

Dunmowin · Guru

Dunmowin wrote:
I have just sent the following email to Copeton Waters:

Just wanted to let you know that we travelled from Bingara the other day to Copeton Waters State Park for a picnic lunch, only to find on our arrival that there was at $10.00 per vehicle entry fee. As Seniors, this is unnacceptable, we returned to Bingara for our lunch and toilet stop. This entry fee is not mentioned on your websitel. This information has been passed on to grey nomad forums.

I really did not expect a reply, but today I recieved the following:

"Thank you for your "E" Mail. You are correct, the entry fee's to Copeton are not listed on our Webpage.

The Web site is new, and is still in the process of being updated to get the "bugs" out of it. This oversight will be corrected ASAP.

The entry fee's to all State Parks are advertised on the State Parks website www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au

It is unfortunate that you did not enquire at the ticket window, as there are concessions for pensioners, and there is also a designated parking area outside the boom gates where you can leave your vehicle, walk in to the Northcott Centre and partake of the facilities there free of charge.

We do hope you will call again, as there is much on offer @ Copeton. A water spray park and large jumping pillow for children , picnic shelters, electric BBQ's, all at no charge other than the entry fee."

All very well, but we were speaking to the ranger in the car park, and he certainly did not offer us this solution.....

Still wont be going back.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Oh - then that's good then - "We do hope you will call again, as there is much on offer @ Copeton. A water spray park and large jumping pillow for children, picnic shelters, electric BBQ's, all at no charge other than the entry fee."

Just what I wanted - a water spray park to frolic in, a large jumping pillow to work up more arthritic pain and put me back out - and all for no charge. Oh yeah - sorry - there is that damned entry fee

All we wanted was a picnic table to sit at and eat some sangers and supp a cuppa char.

Cheers

John

jimricho · Guru

Boroma577 wrote:
jimricho wrote:
Locals "in the know" use the Northern Shores Reserve. Access is from Inverell via Auburn Vale Road.
day entry $4 per vehicle,
campsites $6 unpowered, $10 powered.

Not pet friendly tho.....unless it has changed in recent times.

Without taking sides on this I can understand the trust's reasoning, given the abundant wildlife there.

-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 30th of January 2012 07:53:25 AM

jimricho · Guru

I would take up that point up with them. Even if this park doesn't come within the NPWS service it would have been evidence of your bona fides as a pensioner, even if they had asked for your concession card and thus entitled you to a $5 entry. I'd suggest perhaps a letter to the Inverell Times as well.

PS: To the best of my knowledge there has always been an entry fee even from the very first day it was opened as a recreation area and run by a local trust. It was 50c /day back in the 70s when I was a regular user.

-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 30th of January 2012 09:09:53 AM

jimricho · Guru

I don't find the $5 pensioner entry fee unreasonable and in effect takes into account that pensioners would not be users of the playground facilities but may still wish to avail themselves of the picnic shelters, electric barbecues, public toilets, and the several kilometres of access roads within the park, all for no extra charge.

I have fond memories of camping at Copeton Park in the late 70s and early 80s when the facilities were not as developed as they are today.

It's a pity earlier posts in this thread give the place a "bad wrap" without mentioning the pensioner rate.

whiteman · Senior Member

Jimricho....you miss the point, point of entry staff made no offer of this and to add insult to injury refused to acknowledge our NPWS Pensioner Card.

All we wanted to do was drive around the place and marvel at the improvements since last time we were there when no entry price applicable...nor should there be !!

whiteman · Senior Member

Jimricho....not wishes to get into a scap over this with you, but have been there a number of times over the years, had coffee in the Visitor Centre and up until this last visit had never seen or been asked for a fee as a day visitor.

Camping fess have applied and no problems with that.....I guess it is like others have said, you drive a long way to get there, the expectations of a nice spot under a gum tree for lunch etc are shattered with the point of entry nonsense...........can`t really see the point of a letter to the local paper, but have already pressed a button with our local mamber of parliament and would encourage others who are also outraged to follow the same course of action.

NPWS have been a law unto themselves over many years and the best way of making changes is via the government we put there to make those changes.