Parks sell-off not a solution
NOOSA Parks Association president Ian Seels was expecting a spirited response after suggesting that patients should be charged for public hospital services and the money used for national parks.
And his response to a suggestion that Australia may need to sell some of its national parks so it could afford to conserve its most important landscapes, certainly has struck a nerve with residents on the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Seels was countering a call by ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions director Prof Hugh Possingham, suggestion of parks asset sales.
With limited funds for conservation, Prof Possingham said the nation might have to look at a new system for allocating funds.
Mr Seels said the idea was absurd.
"To suggest selling off environmentally sacred land is unforgivable," he said.
"We have to look at some other aspect of our national welfare system. I've witnessed first hand the number of people who abuse the public (health) system."
Mr Seels, a specialist physiotherapist working with Queensland Health, said a reform in the health care system would provide sufficient money to protect all environmentally significant land.
"As soon as you have a health care system that doesn't ask the user to pay anything, it is flawed," he said.
"Human beings can't be trusted with anything that is free. The health care system should be user-pays, a hierarchical system where people on a pension or income subsidy pay a nominal amount.
"Also, if you don't turn up for an appointment, the next time you come you pay for the appointment and the one you missed."
Mr Seels suggested a trial similar to one used in Ireland.
"The emergency unit was becoming overrun with people who came in with things like a headache on Saturday night.
"They introduced if you came in, whether from a bee sting or multiple vehicle accident, you had to pay something like five pounds.
"This reduced the number of people using the service on a weekend by 33%."
Mr Seels realised the idea would be unpopular and doubted any politician would have the guts to implement it.
Since the report ran last week in the Sunshine Coast Daily, one response was: "I already do pay for the rare times I've used a public hospital...it's called tax and Medicare levy".
One other respondent in the Daily said he could not agree more with Mr Seels about the abuse of a free health system and the need for some sort of charge, but added: "I do think the money should be re-invested in the health system though, not sure that national parks should get it".
