Zoos Victoria - kids are now free

[CGSwans]

24/06/11 Kids Are Free! - Zoos Victoria

This was a Baillieu Government promise before their upset election win in November. It means that on the 150 or so days of highest visitation, the three Zoos Victoria zoos will be free for children, and the Government will cover the lost revenue through extra operating grants.

This is wonderful news for Zoos Victoria, and terrible news for the state's dozen or so private, for-profit animal attractions that have been left out of the arrangement, and will now find it that much harder to attract visitors to their regions from Melbourne.

I find it very strange that a conservative government has essentially increased subsidies to public institutions, to the detriment of small business competitors. Here's hoping that those affected are already on the phones to their nearest Victorian Nationals member asking why big metropolitan zoos are being helped at the cost of regional small ones.

 

[normaeinstein]

Yuck...imagine going to the zoo on one of these kid free days. I'd go nuts. You can't get past all the bloody prams as it is.

 

[Chlidonias]

Yuck...imagine going to the zoo on one of these kid free days. I'd go nuts. You can't get past all the bloody prams as it is.

For the zoos in question it can only be a good thing. They will get a lot more families through who wouldn't normally go as often (or at all) so the zoo makes more money and loses none.

But as CGSwans says, it can't be too welcome for the other zoos in the state that aren't covered.

 

[normaeinstein]

For the zoos in question it can only be a good thing. They will get a lot more families through who wouldn't normally go as often (or at all) so the zoo makes more money and loses none.

But as CGSwans says, it can't be too welcome for the other zoos in the state that aren't covered.

Oh it's totally great for zoos victoria and for families (especially families on a budget) but not so great for me! ha