COTTESLOE Council fees for fitness trainers using its public parks and reserves will rise at least 20-fold to rank among the highest charged in Perth.
“This will assist with the costs of maintaining the reserves from fair wear and tear,” a staff report said at last the Town’s August meeting.
A council spokeswoman said while there had been no specific cost or damage by trainers at sites including Cottesloe Oval, reserves next to beaches, Jasper Johns Reserve and the Cottesloe Civic Centre, there had been an increase in maintenance.
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READ NOWCottesloe introduced fees as part of a 2013 policy to control the use and noise created in its open spaces by commercial trainers.
An updated policy follows July’s 2016-17 Budget, which increased the fees from $20 for an unlimited number of classes at any reserve for 10 weeks, to $20 for each session.
However, that change caused disquiet among some instructors, and an alterative $2000 annual fee was proposed in a new policy governing open-air fitness classes claimed to allow the public first-use access to the sites.
While preparing the policy, Council staff looked at the trainers’ fees charged by Claremont, Nedlands and Melville councils, including the annual $2200 imposed by the City of Stirling.
Since 2015, instructors have been charged $100 for four hour-long sessions in King’s Park, while it costs $80 for a three-month permit in the City of Perth.
“It was found that, compared to many other council areas, the Town was significantly undercharging trainers to operate in the Town of Cottesloe,” the spokeswoman said.
Instructors will now have to choose between the budget’s $20 charge for each session, or opt for the annual fee to suit the frequency of their sessions.
The change will be advertised.