Visiting a NSW National Park will soon become much easier with the introduction of digital park passes from 20 April 2021. National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Executive Director Andrew Nicholls said visitation to parks surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Service experienced one of its busiest summers.
“With more and more people visiting national parks we want to make their trip as enjoyable and relaxed as possible, including streamlining the collection of entrance fees,” Mr Nicholls said.
“From 20 April 2021 digital passes will be available when people purchase or renew their annual or concession pass. “This means no more waiting for stickers in the mail or needing to display them on your vehicle, you can get your digital pass from your mobile or other connected device. “Digital passes will be linked to vehicle registration and NPWS will start to use number plate recognition technology to confirm that entrance fees have been paid.
“The move to digital passes will occur in stages over the next two years, starting with annual and concession passes and day tickets in Sydney. “Eligible pensioners and concession card holders will continue to get free entry to national parks. “They will soon be able to move to this more secure system that links their pass to their vehicle, or one registered at their home address,” said Mr Nicholls. All passes issued before 20 April, including existing annual passes, remain valid until their expiry date and are still required to be correctly displayed on the vehicle. More information on the changes, including how to purchase or renew a pass and a full list of where digital day passes are available, can be found at nswparkspass.info.