18 May Stop Press – Warringah Council public meeting announced to discuss proposed Open Space policy
As we reported last month, Joe and many other local trainers have been at logger heads with Warringah Council regarding their draft policy for the “Use of Open Space by Commercial Fitness Groups and Personal Trainers”. Today we received an important notification from Warringah Council of the next public council meeting where this proposal will be discussed. Please read on to see how you can support us at this meeting and to read Councils response to date.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday 25th May at 6pm in the council offices in Dee Why where they will be discussing the draft policy for the “Use of Open Space by Commercial Fitness Groups and Personal Trainers”. This could be the last chance we have to do something before the policy is implemented.
Fitness Australia and other representatives of the Fitness Industry will be addressing the council at this meeting but it will carry a lot of weight if you, our clients and ratepayers speak at the meeting also. If you feel strongly about supporting our industry please stand up and make a difference to the health of our community by attending the meeting and having a say.
This is the link for a request to address council, which must be lodged by 3pm on Monday 24th May.
https://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/council_then/documents/GuidelinesforRequesttoaddressUpdated9Feb2010.pdf
Upon finalisation of the meeting agenda the final report being considered by Council can then be viewed here:
https://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/council_then/meetings_council.aspx
Council have advised that during the exhibition period they recieved 98 submissions from interested individuals and organisations. They have advised that the submissions generally expressed the following:
* opposition to the proposed fee structure identifying issues such excessiveness, impacts on commercial viability and the likelihood of fees being passed onto ratepayers.
* The view that the policy was too restrictive and that when combined with the proposed fee structure would discourage use of open space and be too cost prohibitive for existing and future participants engaged in activities associated with commercial fitness groups and personal trainers.
“Council remains to consider all submissions in developing a balance between community interests, environmental, cultural and heritage protection and economic development. To this end a report is being prepared for consideration by Council at the meeting on 25 May 2010.”
We, at Joe Bonington, have received many positive responses from our clients and local members of government in response to our plea for support. Thank you all so much for this support, your many words of encouragement and taking action, it is heartening to know that we live and work in a community with such a strong spirit!
William Derrin
Posted at 04:53h, 19 MayI do not partisipate in any fitness group around waringah shire however I can not believe that waringah council are looking at making changes which will no doubt make this sort of training less atractive to the general public .
The council only need to look around our local area and more broardly around australia at the growing problem we as a society have have with wieght gain and obeasity , this meeting is a perfect opportunity for waringah council to leed the way and look hard at ways they can set an example of how to encourage people to get out doors and get fit while at the same time reconnecting with other people in the comunity
William Derrin
Posted at 04:54h, 19 Maythankyou