PERSONAL trainers will be charged to use the shire’s parks and reserves and banned from conducting combat-style fitness under a new Wollondilly Council policy.

The decision to charge personal trainers upwards of $300 to use public spaces has been labelled “revenue raising”, with concern the move could lead to a decline in fitness activities. the council has defended the move, saying the new regulations are necessary due to public liability concerns.

Vanguard Personal Training’s Alex Barrios said the council’s policy would discourage people from using public spaces for exercise.

“This makes it harder for trainers to do their work, harder for people to get fit, and in the long run it’s not helping anyone,” he said. “This is to the detriment of people’s health … it’s revenue raising.”

The council voted on Monday night to charge group fitness trainers $250 for six week’s use of public parks, $32 for a one-off two hour session, and personal trainers $300 a year.

Personal and group fitness trainers are also banned from using whistles and amplified music, as well as doing any sort of “combat training”. Bodywar group fitness trainer John Innes slammed the fees. “Charging $250 for six weeks is a lot of money; it’s ridiculous,” he said.

“We’re in the middle of an obesity epidemic, and the council should be encouraging people to exercise.” Mr Innes said he took his hat off to Campbelltown and Camden councils, which didn’t charge him to use their parks.

Wollondilly Mayor Col Mitchell defended the regulations which were necessary due to public liability insurance. “Personal fitness has become a big business … and it’s about us needing to know what’s going on at the ovals,” he said.

“Otherwise we could become liable. We’re not going to check everyone whose going running around an oval. we just want to know what’s going on. It’s not a big money grab for us.”

Opinion was fiercely divided on the Macarthur Chronicle Facebook page. Rob Jenkins wrote: “Cash grab! Since when do the public pay to use public grounds? Damage to the grass? Bwahahahahahaha.”

But Donna Sillett said: “Fair enough. Mobile personal trainers wouldn’t be paying any commercial rent, so I think an affordable yearly licence fee charged by council will cover the costs of council having to repair any damage to the grass, and cleaning up any mess left behind.