funding from tourists
the conservation minister is claiming great walks fee increases will pay for any extra pest control, without producing any figures,
I"m guessing thats just dreaming, great walks fees can't fund, and shouldnt be the only means to increase funding extra nationwide pest control.
if you read anthony Behrends trip report walking the main ranges in teh north island , he is shocked by the devastation to native forest due to over browsing by pests, especially around the central north island
https://wilderlife.nz/2017/04/day-31-a-quick-trip-through-the-kaimanawa/
something has to budge on user pays for Tourists..
in the news recently, it has been worked out that foreign tourists are costing the health system here $130 million....
unless the govt are going to top up the health dept budget from the tourist tax take for that amount then tourists will need to pay, otherwise we will...
how many kiwis get bumped down the orthopaedic waiting list because the surgeons are busy operating on Tourists who have had accidents?
there are 13000 ACC claims a year for skiing injuries. so there will be hundreds more injuries foreign tourists re sustaining if not in the thousands and most of their medical care will be free of charge...
23 comments
Me personally, under the guise of being friendly and helpful, I tell travellers in a sincere manner to be very careful not to get any fines, and if they're unfortunate and do, to pay them, because if they don't, they will be held up at the airport and risk forfeiting their flight until they pay up.
Is it lying? Of course. Does it work? You bet! Worked many times! :D
Of course, not a solution (Madpom, I like your train of thought), but in the interim, I know for a fact that I've gotten quite a number of travellers to do the right thing, pay required fees.
So until we have a solution, I'm gonna keep lying to people wanting to cheat New Zealand.
Not tramping related, but ACC mentioned earlier in this thread. Did you know 6.9c / l of fuel goes to ACC? Being mentioned as the primary way tourists fund their ACC. Along with rego ACC component from rentals, I guess.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201846823/tourist-s-acc-refund-offer-rejected
Yes exactly, and that RNZ article is at least misleading.
It's one thing for the chap to try to voluntarily pay back the ACC costs and not be allowed to, but the tone of the article is that tourists are using a system they're not (directly) contributing to. In some cases, like claims from the non-earners account this is arguably true. If you fall off a cliff and aren't employed, ACC funds the payout from the non-earners account, which is funded from public tax takes. (Everyone can argue about how big a portion of tourist GST they imagine is allocated to this.)
In the headline case for that article, it was a vehicle accident which is funded from ACC's motor vehicle account. As @madpom notes, that account is fully funded from vehicle registrations and petrol levies. The petrol in his car had been paid for. Vehicle registration had been paid for, and ultimately makes up part of the rental cost he'd have paid for the time he had the car, so he contributed the ACC system according to the same rules as everyone else in a motor vehicle accident. It was a bad example from RNZ.
the thing is, our hospitals are over stretched, they struggle to provide adequate health care to NZers, and often have to provide emergency care to overseas tourists. the govt hasnt budgeted for the $130 million on health care for tourists who are usually only in the country for weeks...., do they require health care out of proportion to the rest of the country given they are here so briefly.... a lot are very physically active. unfamiliar with driving on NZ roads, jet lagged when they get in a car, often set unrealistic goals in driving from place to place because you often have to drive slower on our roads than first world roads overseas... and theres our weather to deal with...
Normal medical care for a tourist is normally reclaimed from health insurance. I dont know if they try to retrieve the total cost. ACC is a hard one Maybe ACC should come to an arrangement with insurers to cover this.
As a matter of fact, having private health insurance is mandatory for tourists, and for migrants too unless they get a visa that is valid for more than 2 years. This is not often checked though in my experience (I've never been asked to prove it), but most people do pay for an expensive private insurance, even paying extra for "search and rescue insurance" when in fact it is free and those insurance companies are not giving any money to NZ SAR…
Migrants don't get access to public NZ health system unless they get a 2+ years work visa. The immigration department is mostly delivering 2 years visas, which is a real problem, as you can stay here years and years on those short visas, and when you get sick you are in a shitty situation. There's often stories about companies and colleagues having to help a migrant worker who developed a health problem and needs their financial help to survive. That's a shame. So let's not forget that we are talking about peoples lives here, and not just numbers in a budget…
And I've seen mates having to pay costs for stuff that should be covered by the ACC, being told that ACC doesn't cover foreigners. Not sure if it's a real rule or just ill-intended staff?
Rightio. So how then, just two weeks after moving to NZ, when I shattered my leg, was I able to get great treatment from Greymouth hospital, and surgery in Christchurch, all under ACC? Not to mention, getting follow-up calls from ACC, and when I told them I was back at work just three weeks after surgery (I was bored; never mind I was an ATV guide), they asked if I wanted them to contact my employer ensuring that I get all the time off I needed.
I'm sorry; immigrants (at least this one), are NOT rewuired to have private insurance.
maybe because aussies dont have the same restrictions on them other foreigners do in NZ?
you dont need a visa to stay here, I dont think you need one to work here? you're pretty close to being a kiwi if you're from aussie
@Kreig I think it's because you're from Aussie. Coming from the UK, I've not been afforded the same service. As Wayne says, other immigrants don't get the same welfare. I've had the same experience as @Bohwaz.
@benwah you should have had the same service though there's health agreements with the UK too: http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/eligibility-publicly-funded-health-services/reciprocal-health-agreements
Though it seems it only concerns temporary visitors from the UK.
And my understanding so far was that ACC was accessible by everyone, tourist or not, but public healthcare was not, but I'll need to check that as I've seen mates being refused ACC cover.
@Kreig: this is clearly stated multiple times when you fill a visa form, eg. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/formshelp/medical-insurance for working holidays. It's required, but not checked, just like the fact that you are supposed to have sufficient funds for your trip. They might ask at the airport when you get in, I've heard about it, but personally have never been asked about it. And yeah if you're an aussie, or even a australian resident visa holder you are covered like a kiwi. Of course that's not really the same if you are in Australia and have a NZ resident visa you are entitled to nothing. I guess this is to attract people from Australia?
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| Forum | The campfire |
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| Started by | waynowski |
| On | 5 June 2017 |
| Replies | 22 |
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