'Pop-up' motor registry to close

A "pop-up kiosk" opened by NSW Roads and Maritime Services in Deepwater Plaza, Woy Woy, will be closed in September.

"The temporary digital kiosk was established in March at Deepwater Plaza in Woy Woy for a period of six months to assist and educate customers about the benefits of transacting digitally," according to a written statement from the office of the Minister of Roads, Maritime and Freight, Ms Melinda Pavey.

"More customers are now turning to online and digital transactions, due to the convenience of not having to travel into store.

"Hundreds of services, including registration renewal, Seniors Card and Opal are available online 24-hours, seven days per week.

"More than 80 percent of vehicle registrations are done digitally.

"Those customers who prefer to transact in store can access services and transactions at our nearby one-stop shops at Gosford and Erina."

Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch said she believed the closure was a "joke".

The kiosk was trialled following the ongoing community backlash over the closure of the Woy Woy Motor Registry in August 2015.

However, Ms Tesch said it had never been properly promoted to the community "and people have not been using it because it doesn't meet their needs," she said.

For example, vehicle registration can be renewed at the kiosk but no testing is available and photographs cannot be taken.

"If they are trying to facilitate the aging population of the Peninsula, it is not working because they still have to go to Erina or Gosford to get their business done and there is no parking at either location," she said.

Ms Tesch said she was continuing to fight for "the return of a Services NSW office to Woy Woy to replace the motor registry we lost".

SOURCES:

Media statement, 21 Jul 2017

Kit Hale, Office of Scot MacDonald

Interview, 22 Jul 2017

Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford

Reporter: Jackie Pearson