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Paying the Pines fees 25-Jul-2013 At 12:50:06 PM Access T CliffCare

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On 24/07/2013 naw26 wrote:
>I'm a relative newcomer to Arapiles having only been once before and relied
>on 'word of mouth' and the 2008 Mentz + Tempest guidebook to guide me with
>the Pines payment system '$2 a night and $3 if the ranger collects'.
>
>Well d'uh you say, paying your campground fees (now risen to $4 a night)
>is important for maintaining facilities etc etc.
>
>Having not enough cash to pay for the amount of nights I'd like to (paying
>for my girlfriend too) I thought I could wait for my next trip into Horsham
>to get money out.
>
>Into Horsham on the 5th night, leave it to the morning to pay. On that
>morning, the ranger comes around and gives me a penalty notice of $180
>for not displaying a permit- despite my protestations that we were actually
>going to pay ("that's what they ALL say mate") Apparently warnings had
>been given on the past year to the climbers to pay their fees (never been
>there or heard of said warnings) and there were no signs up anywhere to
>tell us this or the payment method or consequences.
>
>So to my shock, and many other surprised faces in the campground.
>
>Has this been a well-known fact around the Pines or is it a sudden need
>of revenue on that particular day? (he didn't come around again during
>my 18 day stay). (A quick look showed a post last year of possible warnings
>but nothing concrete?) I'm more embarrassed than anything else really..

Hi naw26, I am sorry for yourself being one of the unlucky ones.There are probably lots of things I could say, various explanations but to be short and sweet about it all (well as short as I can be) - campground fees are required in a number of campgrounds in Victoria.
Conditions and information as noted in guidebooks, is subject to change and nothing should be taken as gospel. Information and updates that get put out at the time of various changes obviously soon disappears into all the other information.
Being fined for not paying fees has always been in existence, can happen and does, so I suppose like everything, if you make the decision not to pay then you really need to accept the consequences that go with that risk.

Previously in another PV life, there were more rangers at the park and one would come pretty regularly every morning. And for the most part, people paid. Once that stopped happening - park resources, especially people resources are cut and cut and cut. And very few people paid. Now there are not enough rangers to check every day. But following some recent changes and there are stories out there if you hunt them down, an effort is being made to police the rules.
It won't be every morning, rather randomly. And yes, that is what they all say - we were going to pay - regardless of whether it's true or not. There were some temporary signs put out at the time of change but the campground already has enough signs. You can't put signs up for every little thing - there has to be some responsibility on visitors to research these things themselves.
I have put out some warnings for people to pay their fees. And herein lies another warning about it. But in the end it is not my responsibility nor anyone elses to constantly have to do that. If I constantly tell people - I just end up sounding like a nagging mum. I have enough of that at home :)

I will send some more warning out there via social media and websites etc but just know that you are required to pay camp fees. You don't have to but then you could end up the unlucky one. Whatever the fine is I wouldn't want it either way. And the maintaining facilities, expenses etc etc is another story. But thats a really long one and this is my short version.

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Cheers,
Tracey