26 October 2006

Goodbye to lunchtimes - City Shopfront to close

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Just been to the Governemnt Shopfront in the city at lunchtime. Waited in the usual queues – its always busy.

So imagine my surprise when they hand me a flyer about the fact they are closing on December 1.

This was the first I had heard of it – I don’t remember anyone from the Government saying it would close.

Apparently its due to the budget cuts – although how you get to Woden, Tuggeranong or Belconnen in business hours to use a shopfront now is beyond me.

There is a press release on the TAMS website – apprently its a “new direction” for shopfront services.

[ED – Not having any is certainly a new direction]

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Thumper, i thought it was DAF who were moving to civic, and the big slab behind DEST is Tax not DEH. Plus DEWR for example is slowly moving to the airport and out of civic.

Never the less your point stands about more workers in civic and less amenities. Apparently the new library will have some of the services, but I also think it’s a stupid idea.

Not everyone can access secure online facilities (eg not advisable at libraries). This aspect is an equity issue.

And the govt doesn’t offer every shopfront service online – for example, when they have to view a concession card. And, oddly, after you come off the concession, you still have to get to a shopfront and pay, because they haven’t got the technology sorted to give you a reference number until after you have made a non-concession payment. They will have to fix this anomaly.

In broad policy terms I get infuriated by the galling tendency for govts to make those people who can least afford to avail themselves of time-saving services, to travel longer distances and wait and wait (eg the outpatients clinic at WVH). This shopfront closure is just another small example of this trend.

This govt will have to watch themselves, these changes are starting to affect the general community and not just the downtrodden minority.

yeah, it does seem strange that they would close down the most central shopfront, but i would assume it was probably costing them more than the others because of it’s location.

but for 4 times a year, i reckon it’s not that much of a struggle to get to one of the others, or you can just as easily call up or visit a post office.

how often does anyone actually have to go to the shopfronts anyway??

thumper, you can renew your rego at dickson.

Maybe you’re onto something Mr Evil — having a shopfront across the road from the Legislative Assembly meant that there were far too many constituents around for the Gov’s liking.

The ACT Govt – here to look after themselves.

last night on win news the spin was that the closure would increase services.

?

You can’t renew at the Woden cop shop?

so now when i renue my gun licence i have to drive from woden to civic to the cop shop then out to butt fuck egypt somewhere to pay for it then back to civic then back home to woden good work fucking wankstains gotta love the canberra pubes

Much obliged Samuel.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart10:30 pm 26 Oct 06

The closest one on the Bunda Street side of the Canberra Centre (get off at the Legislative Assembly bus stop, walk through the Canberra Centre, turn right before the traffic lights in the middle of the shopping centre)…there’s also one on the corner of Moore Street and Alinga Street, but it is further away.

Civic Shopfront is great because I can hop on a quick bus there and back in my lunchtime (from Barton). It’s always packed. I’m pretty miffed about this closure.

I am swinging back to paying bills in person when I can, as CPS Credit Union – since their much touted “merger” – are now charging loads of extra fees for online transactions, BPay, Direct Debit etc. Dicko is not nearly as convenient as Civic so I’m pretty miffed about this. I’ll have to find the Civic PO now. Does anyone know where is the nearest one to the Shopfront?!

It appears this stupid system of business loading zone permits is affecting some numbers of people. Whowever is the Minister for loading Zone permits?

Whowever – Bloody well fix it! Why are we treated as stupid childlike minions who are required to traipse through your shopfronts and fill in duplicate forms just to allow your public servants to claim they are providing a FREE service.

Total, time consuming, blood pressure raising bullshit! Whoever you are, you are elected as a servant of the people. Who gave you the power to cause as much agravation as you can to the electors? This system is crap and the sooner you change it to reduce the agro the better!

Samuel Gordon-Stewart8:44 pm 26 Oct 06

Because the ACT Government is a strange organisation, and probably would prefer their own unique web standards.

Why would TAMS want to block referrals with a 404 (if at all) SGS?

Anyway, cranky, I’ve gone through exactly the same crap with the ACT Govt for the loading zone permit. It is complete rubbish. That is pretty much the only time I ever need to set foot in a shopfront, other than licence renewals, as I do most other stuff online.

Strangly enough the in the sound grab of Hargraves on the radio this arvo he was saying that the reason for closing it was that hardly anyone takes advantage of the shop-front … strange because every time I’ve been in there I’ve had to wait bloody ages because of the bloodly long queue … reminds me of the letters you get from the bank … “In order to provide a better service to you our values customer, we are reducing the total number of free transactions on your account and doubling the fee charged for transactions in excess of the free ones …” I changed banks – maybe its about time we changed Governments?

Samuel Gordon-Stewart6:02 pm 26 Oct 06

My apoligies, I didn’t spot the extra dot in the URL, I retract my statement about TAMS blocking referrals.

I register my (business) station wagon at a cost of about $100 more than private rego. This entitles me to a 10 minute loading zone pass. I pay online, and the rego turns up soon after. But only the rego – no parking permit.

I am required to attend a shopfront (Civic, last 2 times), and fill in a form – requiring precisely the same information as is included on the rego forms, to enable me to receive my FREE parking permit.

This form HAS to be filled out, and no, the extra cost has absolutely nothing to do with the parking permit. They insist the permit is FREE. And there is no way it can be sent out with the rego papers. You must attend the Shopfront and apply.

Crap!

Make that the entire Registrar General’s Office that are moving to Fyshwick, including Land Titles.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart4:51 pm 26 Oct 06

The URL is valid, it looks like TAMS are blocking access with a phony 404 not found message for referrals from websites outside TAMS.

The bit of the press release which relates to this post reads as follows:

Mr Hargreaves said that a review had also been done into ACT Government Shopfront services
“Over the past five years, the ACT Government has pursued a strategy through Canberra Connect to
direct customers to more efficient and user-friendly service channels. Options now include Australia
Post payment facilities which provide a face-to-face service, Bpay, automated phone payments, online
payments, and the Canberra Connect call centre. These service channels have contributed to an
overall reduction in shopfront customer numbers as the community shifts to self-service and other
alternative options. These options provide additional convenience as they are not restricted to normal
business hours. For example, in August 2002 about 65% of transactions were done through Shopfronts
and in August 2006 this was down to approximately 40%.
“As a result of this shift, Civic Shopfront will close on Friday 1 December 2006.”
Mr Hargreaves said that members of the community will be able to use the many alternatives available
(such as Australia Post outlets, Bpay, 13 22 81 or http://www.canberraconnect.act.gov.au) and will still have
access to Dickson Shopfront (which is four kilometres away), as well as Belconnen, Woden and
Tuggeranong Shopfronts which will continue to deliver the full range of services.
“To cater for those in our community who do not have access to the Internet and who shop, work and
live in Civic, the new Civic Library will provide free internet access. Moves are also in progress to
incorporate a limited user-friendly service facility into the Library which would provide driver licence
renewals and some other information services from early-2007.
“Customers visiting Civic Shopfront over the next month will be informed of the service options and of
the alternative payment and information methods.”

As for how to get to the press release, go to the TAMS website on the right under “About our department” is a link to media releases. The press release in question is “Changes to TAMS services” October 26.

Alternatively, I’ve mirrored it on my site.

ACT Revenue will be staying in the Nara Bldg in Civic, they are NOT moving. The counter is being closed as they are moving their services online.

It is the Land Titles office that will be moving to Fyshwick, which I am sure will be a great inconvenience to the Solicitors & Conveyancers.

This is yet another legendary f#*^-ups of this administration – not being able to anticipate the stupidity of people using its internet sites.

Bighead.. when was the last time you saw a file extension as .pdf. ?

Whoever created the link in the RA post made the mistake.. Delete the last . and the link works.

youshould_knowthis4:35 pm 26 Oct 06

Maybe they don’t want anyone to read it????

funny, the linky aint working

Not Found

The requested URL /__data/assets/pdf_file/39009/changestoTAMSservices.pdf. was not found on this server.

barking toad4:02 pm 26 Oct 06

Is there a bit of a story to the pending closure of the ACT Revenue office in Civic? Something about nothing being done about renewing the lease with the Commonwealth? Then being surprised about a notice to quit?

The move to leased premises in Canberra Ave, Fyshwick, will be convenient for legal firms wanting to stamp contracts for property settlements etc, – not!

And is there any truth to the rumour that even the initial move will be temporary accommodation while the expensive fit-out for the eventual office is completed?

The financial fuck-ups of this administration are, and will be, legendary. And there’s more to come.

There is a shopfront in Dickson.

Ground Floor, Dickson Motor Registry
13 – 15 Challis Street
Dickson ACT 2602

James-T-Kirk3:45 pm 26 Oct 06

“My EBA has long lunches!!!” – JTK

But, yes, it is yet another example of the shit service that the local council provides to the people who pay for it.

Great to see we have a service oriented govt.

Griffith library’s going 🙁

Personally I’d much prefer to transact online than having to stand in a queue along with the great unwashed.

I suppose they are trying to get everybody to make payments online.

Apparently the ACT Revenue counter is closing too, sometime in March 2007.

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