What to know about Ballina
- Ballina Shire Council's specifications for commercial activities on public land require personal fitness trainers to hold a Certificate III and IV in Fitness with an Australian based national accreditation organisation.Source: Ballina Shire Council, Commercial Activities on Public Land Specifications (adopted 26 October 2023)
- Licensed operators may work at Shire beaches north of the Richmond River and at reserves, but not in Fawcett Park, at Angels Beach, at Boulder Beach or in any public car park.Source: Ballina Shire Council, Commercial Activities on Public Land Specifications (adopted 26 October 2023)
- Gear for licensed outdoor sessions must be small handheld items such as kettlebells, hand weights, ropes and boxing gloves, never large equipment like rowing machines or treadmills.Source: Ballina Shire Council, Commercial Activities on Public Land Specifications (adopted 26 October 2023)
- Commemoration Park in Bentinck Street, on the banks of North Creek, has fitness equipment with over 134 different exercises and instructional boards.Source: Ballina Shire Council, Commemoration Park
- Wollongbar District Park at 93 Rifle Range Road has a multi-purpose circuit path with distance markers and exercise equipment.Source: Ballina Shire Council, Wollongbar District Park
Beaches and reserves a licensed trainer may use
Paid sessions on council land in Ballina Shire run under a licence, and the council's specifications for commercial activities on public land list the places it covers. Licensees can operate at every Shire beach north of the Richmond River and at reserves across the Shire. Some spots are left out: Fawcett Park in Ballina, Angels Beach, the southern end of Sharps Beach, Boulder Beach, all public car parks and some sporting fields. If you picture your sessions at one of those, ask the trainer for a nearby alternative.
Small kit, set hours for music
The same specifications keep outdoor gear to small handheld items: kettlebells, hand weights, ropes, boxing gloves and the like. Rowing machines, treadmills and other large gym equipment are not allowed. Amplified music is permitted only between 8am and 8pm and only when the group is more than 50m from homes. If you want to work with heavier equipment, a session at your place may suit you better, and training at home explains how that works.
The certificates the council asks for
To be licensed, the council expects personal fitness trainers to hold a Certificate III and IV in Fitness with an Australian based national accreditation organisation (Ballina Shire Council). Asking a trainer which certificates they hold is a reasonable first question.
Commemoration Park and Wollongbar
Beside North Creek in Bentinck Street, Commemoration Park has fitness equipment that the council says offers over 134 different exercises, with instructional boards to follow. On the plateau, Wollongbar District Park at 93 Rifle Range Road has a circuit path with distance markers and exercise equipment, which makes it a handy meeting point for anyone in Wollongbar or Alstonville.
A longer path for Lennox Head
In Lennox Head the council's shared path project is a 3m-wide path of about 2.1km along Byron Street, Byron Bay Road and Cooper Close. A brisk walk or an easy run on a wide path is a gentle way to warm up before strength work.
Training in Ballina Shire: common questions
Could my sessions be held at Angels Beach?
Not under a council licence. Angels Beach is on the excluded list with Boulder Beach and Fawcett Park, so a trainer will suggest another beach or a reserve instead.
Do you take requests from Alstonville and Wardell?
Yes. Name your town on the request form and we look for one trainer who can get to you.