Moreton Bay Regional Council’s “upgraded” computer system has also included changes to their Park Booking System.
Previously, if you wanted to book a Park in the Moreton Bay Region you rang the Council, answered a few questions about which park and what time, paid a fee and were allocated a time slot for that space.
Council’s new Park Booking System is clumsy, difficult to use, and has more than one “glitch”.
If you are having a party, pay the fee and the space is yours – if you can manage the maze that is the online booking system! No guarantee on the day though that the grass will be mowed and that someone won’t already be sitting there and won’t move just because you have booked it – and paid for it!.
For local Beachmere bride Karon Darcy, trying to book a site for her vow renewals went from a nightmare to ridiculous.
“I spent some time navigating the Council’s new website and then completing the application. I did have to contact Council staff on a few occasions to get assistance,” Karon said.
“Then we discovered we had to pay for a whole day, even though the site lets you nominate a booking of three hours. But, even after we booked the site and paid the $110 fee, we received an email informing us that we need $20m Public Liability insurance.
“That would just be an additional fee, if it was offered by the Council, but it is not. Then I wasted another two hours trying to find an insurer who would just insure the time period, or the day, without paying for a twelve month policy adding another $300 to the cost of the day,” Karon said.
Council staff advised that the requirement to have a $20m Public Liability was not new and had always been in place. However, it had not been enforced until it was included in the Online Booking System.
Karon has cancelled her Park Booking and made alternative arrangements.
“You can turn up and use the Park for free, you can use any of the BBQ facilities for free. We could have held a party with just the park booking fee. As soon as I said “wedding” there were all these additional costs.” Karon said.
“I am so disappointed that our Vow Renewal Ceremony won’t be overlooking the natural beauty of the Bay and we won’t be able to enjoy any of the parks in our area,” Karon said, “but I am even more disappointed that we won’t be supporting local businesses and that the Council made no effort to support us in doing that”.