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“Your Say” following the article on Yarra City Councils permit proposal, 209 comments.
City of Yarra is one of several municipalities that is following the lead of five bayside councils, which recently moved to clamp down on boot camps that operate on beaches and foreshore parks.

Are the proposed exercise fees a “greedy grab for cash” as labelled by Yarra councillor Steve Jolly, or should trainers have to pay for using public property for their private gain?

After a few phone call, we managed to organise Cameron Houston from the Age to cover the story about Yarra Council’s proposed permit system that will effectively end fitness training at Edinburgh Gardens for groups over 7 people.

Councillor Steve Jolly attended with a mother who attends fitness classes in Clifton Hill as well Nicholls Labour candidate Jane Garrett and a strong contigent of Fitstyler clients.

Exerts from the article as it appeared on Monday, 20th October 2009

City of Yarra and several other municipalities are following the lead of five bayside councils, which recently moved to clamp down on boot camps that operate on beaches and foreshore parks.

But Yarra has gone a step further and proposed a ban on commercial exercise groups of more than six people from 18 public parks in Fitzroy, Clifton Hill and Richmond. Fitness classes will also be prohibited from exercising within 10 metres of playgrounds or 15 metres of picnic sheds and park benches.

Yarra councillor Steve Jolly labelled the proposal a “greedy grab for cash”, which he will oppose at a council vote next month. “These types of activities should be encouraged rather than taxed, it’s pure opportunism.”

Personal trainer Andrew Talati, who runs classes in North Fitzroy’s Edinburgh Gardens, said the $1000 permits would destroy his business, Fitstyler.

“There seems to be a huge inconsistency between local, state and federal governments in how to tackle the obesity epidemic,” Mr Talati said

He said that most of his clients lived in the municipality and already paid rates that covered the upkeep of parks and gardens.

Kathryn Field trains twice a week at Edinburgh Gardens and said the classes had a “negligible impact” on the park, which was far outweighed by the community health benefits.

“It’s fantastic that people are being encouraged to exercise. I work as a cancer specialist so I’m well aware of the adverse health effects of obesity and a lack of exercise,” Dr Field said.

Mayor Judy Morton defended the plan and said personal trainers profited from public spaces and had an obligation to contribute to their upkeep. “People who operate a business expect to pay rent in their business premises, so it is reasonable to pay a fee to conduct a business in a local park,” Cr Morton said.

Liberty Victoria president Julian Burnside, QC, recently slammed the bid to charge personal trainers.

“It’s ridiculous that councils think they can gouge some members of the public to use this land,” Mr Burnside said.

The meeting at the Richmond Town Hall on the 21st October was attended by
all 9 Councillors, including The Mayor, Councillor Judy Morton, the
executive officers and the Directors.

The Mayor stated that she wanted it to be a consultative process. That it is
a space issue, that they (Council) support fitness and health but need to
work out a policy that works for both the park/council and the trainers.
Nothing is in concrete and they will have a forum whereby the trainers can
have their say.

With regards to questions directed at what reports or studies the proposed
personal training permit system was based on, I was directed to Greg Anders,
the Director of Infrastructure Services Division who stated that he will
email the report.

City of Yarra introduces a draft personal training policy and Permit system that is set to achieve:

“Whilst all parks and gardens are an available resource to the local community, it is important that such activities as those encompassed throughout a personal training session do not impose on other locals using the park or deteriorate the quality or condition of the park by over using particular areas.”

“Allowing personal trainers to operate within a fair and affordable framework so that physical activities continues t be promoted and the benefits received by local residents”

With Australia now having the highest obesity levels in the world, there is a growing economic cost.
Those who are categorized as overwight or obese (A BMI >25) 8% in 1989-90 to 44% in 1995, 50% in 2001 and 53% in 2004-05. The increase was most marked among obese adults, with the proportion of the adult population in this category doubling between 1989-90 and 2004-05 (from 9% to 18%). Over the same period, the proportion of overweight adults increased from 29% to 35%. (1)

Despite this, the proposed Policy would appear to be contradicting this stated intention. Rather than regulating use in a way that is fair for all users, the Policy not only restricts the scope of affordable and ‘park friendly’ training activity that can take place but favours certain operators in a way that is inconsistent with the reality of park usage with no evidential documentation to support why this should be so.

Diabetes is currently at 6% of the Australian population and this is set to increase to 7% by 2025. (2)
|Type 2 diabetes is often described as a disease of affluence, being associated with obesity and low levels of physical activity.

Local government can help people to become more physically active by providing an alternative to freely access affordable fitness training outside in the fresh air and open spaces of our beautiful parks.
Numerous studies have shown that physically exercise should not be limited to one session per week.

At the moment, the City of Yarra’s proposed personal training policy and Permit system will stop training of groups of 7-15 people at 18 parks while those fitness groups of 3 – 6 people will be banned from 10 parks.
The City of Yarra fact sheet for personal training policy and Permit system
The City of Yarra draft for personal training policy and Permit system
What is proposed

• No group exercise classes conducted at Edinburgh Gardens & 17 other designated parks
• Parks that are allowed to conduct group exercise classes of 6 – 15 people will only per permitted to conduct one session
per week
• A fee of $1000 every 6 months to conduct one session per week
What does this mean for people undertaking group fitness training in the park:

• No classes conducted at Edinburgh Gardens
• Relocation to one of four parks deemed appropriate for group training
• Only one class per week will be permitted which equates to 5 sessions being cancelled per week
• Increased session fees to offset the permit fees, based on the proposal of $40 charged per session at one session per
week

Fitness trainers have always supported having a regulated system for park usage that respected public users while providing a fair and equitable fee and permit structure to regulate commercial activity.

I recommend that a six month trial period similar to the one that is currently being conducted by the City of Port Phillip, be undertaken.

This will give operators conducting commercial training activities such as myself, adequate time to register and accurately demonstrate the impact of classes based on actual commercial activities at each park.

During this period a fair and equitable fee infrastructure and permit system review could be undertaken in consultation with other councils currently introducing or managing a permit system.

Introducing a restrictive system will only force operators to avoid checks while favouring businesses that are prepared to operate in an underhanded manor.

People should have the choice to participate in group fitness in their parks as opposed to a gymnasium.
What can you do

• Completing the feedback form

• and sending it to PO Box 168, Richmond, VIC 3121

• sending your own written submission to PO Box 168, Richmond, VIC 3121emailing your written submission to

Caitlin Ryan,
Sports Development Officer
caitlin.ryan@yarracity.vic.gov.au.

Submissions must be received by Friday, 31 October 2008.

For further information, please contact Caitlin Ryan on 9205 5555.

Source

(1) 4719.0 – Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Australia, 2004-05
Australian Bureau of Statistics

(2) Access Economics (2006) The economic costs of obesity. Report for Diabetes Australia, Canberra.