We all know that under his interim license Jack 'Cameron' Sim of Ghost Tours is not paying anything back to Boggo Road Gaol while he profits from it with expensive tours. Well, it turns out that 'Jack the Rip-off' has made Boggo Road the most expensive cultural heritage place you can visit in (mainland*) South East Queensland. Here are the shocking numbers (price per adult):
In the coming months you might hear some debate in the media about private vs not-for-profit management of these kind of places, but the message here is crystal clear. The only privately-run place in this list is Boggo Road, and just look at the results. Even though many of those other places have absolutely MASSIVE overheads, and plenty of staff, just look how much more affordable they are to visit. And bear in mind that:
- Sim was gifted free use of Boggo Road Gaol by the state government and so has minimum overheads, and so most of the money you pay to get into this publicly-owned building goes straight into his pocket.
- Only a small part of the old prison is actually open to the public
- With just about every place on this list (except Boggo Road Gaol) you are free to stay as long as you want, and are not herded out of the door after 1.5-2 hours.
This hit to the hip-pocket for the public is a result of not going with a much better community management model for Boggo Road Gaol. At a time when basic utility prices are going through the roof and families have to watch their leisure spending, is this really what we want to see happen with Queensland cultural heritage? So far, the people have spoken with their feet and stayed away from Boggo Road. This unique public asset now stands sadly under-used.
This is all just one other reason why Boggo Road should be run for public good, not personal profit, and why you should wait until it is opened properly under decent management before parting with your cash to go there.
* Places like St Helena Island require sea-going transport to get there so are not comparable price-wise for the purposes of this table
This is all just one other reason why Boggo Road should be run for public good, not personal profit, and why you should wait until it is opened properly under decent management before parting with your cash to go there.
* Places like St Helena Island require sea-going transport to get there so are not comparable price-wise for the purposes of this table