Boat ramp ticket machines at Port MacDonnell and Blackfellow Caves will be removed.

However, users will still be charged use of the facilities.

In a report tabled at a recent council meeting environmental services director Leith McEvoy said the machines had never worked very well.

“It is fair to say the ticket machines have never worked very well, particularly the machine in Port MacDonnell, which has much higher usage,” he said.

“Although the ticket machines were new and reasonably priced, they were older machines with older software.”

The machines were installed several years ago when the boat ramp facilities in both towns were upgraded.

Council also introduced online app ‘Easy Park’ as an alternative payment method.

“When the ticket machine in Port MacDonnell was not working, customers were referred to the Port MacDonnell Community Complex, if open, where the appropriate fee could be paid,” Mr McEvoy said.

“Unfortunately some people do not have access to or do not wish to use the app, and some do not wish to visit the community complex due to the distance or it may be closed.”

He said the ticket machine, which was often not working, was a clear point of dispute.

“Due to these challenging circumstances, it has always been difficult to easily expiate people using the boat ramp facilities,” Mr McEvoy said.

The two ticket machines will be fully replaced by the Easy Park system, which Mr McEvoy said would remove any uncertainty about the required method of payment.

“The community complex will still be able to take payment for different permits, such as 12 months, day or week and professional fishers or regular users will still be available to pay annual permits by invoice arrangements,” he said.

Mr McEvoy said the Easy Park system was used in many coastal council areas.

“The Easy Park system will largely be monitored and policed online by council’s community rangers,” he said.

“Where someone is unable to use the Easy Park App when at the two boat ramps, council would probably allow 48 hours for payment to be made by the users of the boat ramps before issuing an expiation.”

In his report, Mr McEvoy said the ticket machines generated about $30,000 in council revenue in the first year.

“Since then, the machines and Easy Park system now average about $20,000 in revenue each year,” he said.