Government charge Personal Trainers to use public parks
As we have become the most obese country in the world, it strikes me "Strange" or "Irresponsible" that the government
force trainers and exercise providers to pay in order to use public parks while we fight to keep our nation active.
Obesity costs Australians billions of dollars a year in direct and indirect health care costs. The Government should be
providing subsidies and rebates for fitness initiatives, not inventing up revenue raising fees that discourage physical activity,
ultimately driving fitness trainers out of business. It will cost the government to offer incentives in the short term but the
savings long term will be ten-fold.
Are we not trying to encourage exercise?? Does the government want to partake in the fight of obesity in Australia??
Would they rather us trainer's increase our fee's in order to afford these high overheads?? I would assume not to all of the
above, though it seems they are definitely not helping the situation by discouraging personal trainers and exercise providers,
in demanding these ridiculous huge fee's
Less fitness services available = higher prevalence of preventable diseases = greater costs to Australians
Royal Botanic Gardens Fee = $1232 year per trainer = $3696 year for 3 Box Class trainers
We received a $350 fine because one of our trainers wasn’t registered.
Just an excuse for greedy council’s to raise revenue
We understand there is costs associated with up keep of parks – but isn’t that what taxes are for?
Trainers have their own insurance that covers injury that might occur during a training session – so there are no insurance
costs for parklands. Councils would be more at risk from those playing an unorganised game of soccer – what’s next?
Charging the public to run through the park?
Councils think trainers can just pass the charge on to clients but there is only a certain amount clients are willing to pay for
fitness services, particularly with the present slow economy.
I don’t know of any outdoor fitness training company that only run out of one park. We run Box Class all over Sydney and
are hit with park fees at many of them. At the very least, only hit trainers with the one fee that gives them the right to train at
any park.
My first and foremost argument is why we have to pay at all in order to offer the public an opportunity to exercise for their
health and wellbeing. And Secondly, if we have no choice but to pay to help our community, why do we have to purchase
licenses for each individual parkland opposed to one license fee for all.
Our hope as a training business would be to purchase a company license for all City of Sydney parklands opposed to
licensing each trainer.
It is also a slap in the face for small business'. As we strive to grow, we are forced to constantly hurdle brick walls and deal
with these curve balls.