Child's age all important to zoo's ticket pricing

Children will not be allowed to stay children for as long, under proposed pricing changes at Auckland Zoo.

The Zoo Board is due to meet today to discuss a proposal to change the definition of child to bring price and admission policies into line.

At the moment, children are defined as being aged from 4 to 15 inclusive when it comes to setting ticket prices.

However, that clashes with a policy introduced in January setting the minimum age for attendance by an unaccompanied child at 14 or under.

Zoo documents say the admission-to-pricing guidelines create confusion for parents and staff, as 15-year-olds - who qualify as children when it comes to admission - can roam unaccompanied.

"In the interests of clarity and consistency, there is a strong preference for the definition of a child for pricing purposes to be aligned with the definition for admission purposes."

A decision is expected today.

WHAT IS A CHILD?
* Auckland Art Gallery: 5-16 years.
* Mt Albert Aquatic Centre: 5-16 years.
* Pt Erin Pools: 5-15.
* Cameron Pools: 5-15 years.

Elsewhere:
* Wellington Zoo: 3-14 years.
* Hamilton Zoo: 2-16.
* Orana Park (Christchurch): 5-14.