Commercial fitness trainers who use public spaces will need to get a permit first from Campbelltown City Council.
When new regulations come into force next March they will also need to pay an annual $120 permit fee and have full public liability insurance cover.
However council also decided – at its monthly meeting last week – to review the policy after one year of operation.
But before council voted to regulate this activity there was a robust debate, with four councillors opposed to regulation: George Greiss, Alana Matheson, Clinton Mead and Ted Rowell, who argued it would be “hard to police’’.
Cr Clinton Mead implied that the proposed regulation was essentially nanny state intrusion into legal private activity.
Several times he asked the council directors what would happen if a commercial fitness trainer ran a course for no payment; would he or she be liable if someone was injured.
Several times he was told that the policy was directed at commercial fitness trainers, in other words a business run for profit using council spaces.
“He just doesn’t get it, does he,’’ Cr Fred Borg said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“This is just council protecting its people by bringing in such a policy, that’s all it’s doing,’’ he told council.[/social_quote]
Cr Darcy Lound, who is involved in local football administration, said he was pleased council would regulate such activity.
“This is great policy, as it also protects the current users of many facilities, who put in the effort towards the upkeep of grounds and reserves.
“Regulating these commercial fitness trainers is just tops to me.’’
Cr Rudi Kolkman told council that the proposed annual permit fee “was very low in terms of access to council facilities’’.
Regulation of commercial fitness trainers in Campbelltown was first proposed more than a year ago.
A report to council said this was in response to an increasing number of user conflicts and requests from commercial fitness trainers to use public open space to conduct their activities.
A proposed Use of Public Open Space by Commercial Fitness Trainers draft policy was presented at a council briefing on September 2, 2014.
On December 9, 2014 council voted to place the draft policy on public exhibition.
On June 30 of this year council was presented with the feedback from the public exhibition of the draft policy.
The aims of the policy are to:
provide effective management of the use of council’s parks, public reserves, public open space and sporting grounds by commercial fitness trainers;
minimise the impact of fitness training activities on council’s assets, protecting public infrastructure and addressing public risk concerns;
ensure overall equity of access for the community to council’s parks, public reserves, public open space and sporting grounds.
The report to council stated that “the proposed system also provides security to local residents as the permit system will provide council the insurance details of the fitness providers and permit holders will be acknowledged on council’s website.
“This will allow residents to immediately check and have confidence that commercial fitness trainers, who are running classes and receiving payment have the appropriate insurances and registration to protect them in the case of injury.’’
