Park training businesses to shape up with licence

20 June 2018

Commercial operators require licence under NSW law

Personal trainers operating from Tweed parks and beaches are asked to get their business models in shape from 1 July 2018 by applying for a licence to operate from public land.

Under NSW Government legislation, anyone who operates a commercial venture from public land needs to be licensed to do so. In December 2017, Council adopted a Commercial Recreation Activities on Public Open Space Policy to fully comply with the law.

“Council encourages the use of public land for these healthy activities but requires commercially based personal trainers, bootcamps and team building groups with six or more participants to be licensed from 1 July,” Open Space Officer Grahame Burton said.

“Fees are being kept as low as possible to minimise the financial impact on these small businesses while still complying with the law.”

Businesses that use public land 10 or more hours a week will pay more than those who use it less often. Plus, the licence fee has been waived for groups of five or fewer people. Only commercial operations are affected, Not-for-profit organisations, sporting clubs and the like are not required to hold a licence.

The licence fees for 2018-2019 are:

Annual fee:

  • High frequency (over 3 days per week or 10 hours per week) $520
  • Low frequency (3 or less days per week or under 10 hours per week) $260
Short-term fee (weekly):

  • For activities occurring for one week or less $64 a week.
“Licensing commercial operators also will enable us to educate groups on some of the courtesies we expect so that their activities do not infringe on the enjoyment of others using our parks, beaches and road reserves.”

Personal training and group activities are prohibited within:

  • 50 metres of residential housing or tourist and visitor accommodation unless exceptional circumstances apply
  • 10 metres of playgrounds or park equipment, such as shelter sheds
  • 100 metres of flagged areas on a beach, and
  • in ecologically sensitive locations, such as natural coastal areas and sand dunes.
For more information and to apply for a licence, visit http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/PublicSpaceCommercial.

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