AusLeisure

The Victorian Government has today announced that restrictions for fitness facilities, indoor aquatic centre, food courts and school graduation ceremonies in the regional Victoria will ease from midnight on Tuesday.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement today, acknowledging that continued low numbers of regional cases of COVID-19 cases was allowing the easing to take place.

The Third Step easing, effective from 11.59pm on Tuesday 27th October will allow:

• Gyms and fitness studios to operate with a maximum of 20 people.
• Indoor pools to open with a maximum of 20 people.
• Indoor sport to begin for those 18 and under.
• Food courts to open
• Live music as part of outdoor hospitality
• School graduations can be held
• Religious gatherings will be permitted to host a maximum of 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoor, plus one faith leader.
• Outdoor funerals will increase to 50 mourners.

Premier Andrews also announced easing measures for Shepparton, where there has been a spike in cases, advising “from 11.59pm tonight, greater Shepparton will also come into alignment with the rest of regional Victoria, with hospitality venues moving to up to 40 people inside after no new cases were recorded in the area.”

However, Premier Andrews added that he was “not in a position” to ease restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne.

Calls for Victorian Government rescue package for gyms
With the ongoing closure of gyms and fitness centres across Victoria having caused owners and operators significant financial hardship, there are calls for a relief package for the sector.

While most privately owned facilities have been eligible for JobKeeper, The Australian has reported that “frustrated owners … are on the verge of financial ruin and will need relief to continue operating.”

Body & Soul Genesis Ballarat owner Mel Tempest said about 40% of gym users across fitness facilities in the Ballarat region had cancelled their gym memberships.

Tempest told The Australian “when we do open our doors, we’ve got to have money to be able to do marketing and get people.

“These clubs have had no income for six months - we can’t go to the bank for loans and get further into debt. We’ve just been forgotten.”

Advising that gyms had reopened after the state’s first Coronavirus lockdown, but were forced to close again before the start of Victoria’s second shutdown, and have not reopened since, Tempest explained “every club in regional Victoria wants to open in some sort of capacity.

“We opened before the second lockdown and have the booking app, swipe system, COVID management plans ready to go.

“Gyms being closed for weeks meant momentum dropped off across the board everywhere - we went through our database and rang all our 2200 members and the conversations were consistent - a loss of motivation, struggling to get out of bed and putting on weight.”

Tempest said many centres and gyms had struggled to get government grants due to the industry being self-regulated, adding “we don’t have a union or government body - we are battling this on our own,” she said.

Tempest said financial relief was needed for affected clubs to help them climb out of debt, and called on the City of Ballarat to waive rates for the current financial year.

Lower image: Body & Soul Genesis Ballarat owner Mel Tempest. Picture: Supplied.

Related Articles

23rd October 2020 - Survey shows over 400 Australian Live Music Businesses face imminent closure

23rd October 2020 - Les Mills Asia Pacific reveals new training format for instructors

22nd October 2020 - Fitness Australia applauds NSW Government’s relaxation of gym COVID Marshal measures

19th October 2020 - Reopened fitness clubs see more than two-thirds of members return

21st October 2020 - NSW Government advises easing of gym Coronavirus restrictions

8th October 2020 - Fitness Australia releases research showing impact of lockdown gym closures

8th October 2020 - Global Wellness Institute reports Asia-Pacific having largest economic growth in fitness, sport and recreation sectors

19th October 2020 - Victorian Premier omits ‘high-risk’ gyms from state’s reopening plans

19th October 2020 - Victorian Government announces unwinding of Melbourne’s Coronavirus restrictions but with no easing for gyms

16th October 2020 - Fitness Australia’s Barrie Elvish maintains calls for gyms to open in regional Victoria

13th October 2020 - Vic Active continues to call for reopening of indoor fitness centres

12th October 2020 - Fitness Australia provides update on meeting with Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer

12th October 2020 - VicHealth and AFL encourage families to get active on way to school as restrictions lift

9th October 2020 - Victorian Aquatic Industry Alliance wants to see children back in the pool

7th October 2020 - Victorian Government delivers $7.85 million to support arts and cultural organisations

28th September 2020 - No change to fitness centre restrictions as Victorian Government eases lockdown measures

24th September 2020 - Aquatic, fitness and sport facilities headed for membership crisis

21st September 2020 - Fitness Australia’s Barrie Elvish to meet with Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer to urge gym reopening

20th September 2020 - Live music venues to benefit industry from $13 million Victorian Government support package

18th September 2020 - Operator questions Fitness Australia’s 26th October reopening claim for Victorian gyms

16th September 2020 - Victoria’s aquatic industry leaders call for clarity

15th September 2020 - Fitness industry disappointed gyms in regional Victoria cannot reopen under this week’s Coronavirus easing

15th September 2020 - Easing of Coronavirus restrictions in regional Victoria to allow resumption of outdoor activities and dining

14th September 2020 - Fitness Australia calls for one-on-one training to be allowed under Victoria’s new outdoor exercise restrictions

14th September 2020 - VIC Active considers Government’s mental health support package to be tokenistic

11th September 2020 - VIC Active claims government’s proposal for outdoor training is impractical

19th July 2020 - Without JobKeeper 60% of Australian fitness businesses will close in less than a month

3rd April 2020 - Royal Life Saving welcomes JobKeeper payments as a ‘$700 million lifeline’ for aquatic facilities and swim schools

25th October 2018 - Fitness entrepreneur and ‘contrarian’ Mel Tempest receives special industry communication and marketing award

27th September 2018 - FITREC names Mel Tempest as Global Ambassador

19th November 2017 - Ballarat Body & Soul Health & Fitness Studio gets national recognition for business excellence

15th June 2017 - Ballarat fitness club owner wins IHRSA Institute Scholarship

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.