Coogee Neptune Park outdoor gym: ban proposed to limit noisy behaviour

Booming electronic music, pre-dawn workouts and clanking weights are driving residents to despair at an outdoor gym. Now they are calling for big changes.

Eastern suburbs gym junkies are being ordered to keep a lid on it after coming under fire over noisy workout sessions at a newly opened outdoor gym.

A ban on “electronic music” and commercial fitness sessions at the outdoor gym at Coogee’s Neptune Park are among measures Randwick Council is set to consider following a spike in complaints from neighbouring residents.

The gripes have centred on late-night and pre-dawn workouts at the site, fitness fanatics blastings electronic music as they train, noisy boxing groups, garden beds being used as toilets and the “commercialisation” of the public park by private operators.

A photo captured by a resident.

But some fitness providers who use the site say the outdoor set-up has helped them stay in business during Sydney’s current lockdown and is providing the region’s cooped up residents with a much needed outlet.

The outdoor gym was opened by Randwick Council in February and includes equipment catering for everything from aerobic cycles, chest presses, body dips and sit ups.

Craig Madgwick, who lives within earshot of the park, said residents had opposed the plans when they were first circulated by the council in 2019 and two years on their concerns over noise and anti-social behaviour had been proven right.

A photo of gym users at the site.

“We’ve been fighting the council about the project before Covid – it’s been a nightmare from the beginning and having the lockdown has only exacerbated the issue,” he said.

“There’s loud music, they’re using weights that are using noise, we’ve had people turn up at 4am to do a full workout with music and using car headlights to light up the park. We’ve also seen people using garden beds as public toilets.

“The park is right next to homes – our bedrooms are 40m from where the gym is and 20m from where they’re working out. We’re having to use earplugs at night.

“It’s become a 24 hour gym that’s killing us.”

A photo of car headlights lighting up the site.

Kyl Raggio, owner of KRP Performance who has been using the outdoor gym for daytime fitness classes, said the set-up has been vital to keep his business afloat.

“We have a studio gym in Randwick and obviously that’s been closed for the last two months because of the lockdown and we’ve had to pivot to outdoor areas,” he said.

“I’ve been here a couple morning and there’s been random people training who’ve brought speakers down and a few residents are rightfully not happy about it. But to be honest when I’m at the park during the day I often have it to myself.

The gym opened in February.

“Without (outdoor gyms) it would be very hard to stay in business – it’s the last remaining piece of freedom people have at the moment and provides a bit of routine and relief.”

Councillor Murray Matson said the council should rethink the suitability of the gym in the residential area.

“The sentiment of the councillors was that we should provide innovative spaces like this and also find ways for people to hold it together in lockdown and in many ways an outdoor gym is ideal. But we also need to think about residents – they’re in lockdown as well,” he said.

“Maybe we put it in the wrong place – it’s bordered by residential buildings and we should have really found a site elsewhere – we’re asking for conflict.”

A photo of the site.

The park is bordered by homes.

In a motion to next week’s council meeting, Cr Matson has proposed banning electronic music and commercial gym training, declaring resident friendly operating times for the gym, preventing the “commercial monopolisation” of the site and installing signs to deter anti-social behaviour.

“It’s there now, we’re in a pandemic, but the council has to step up and exert some sort of control,” he said.

“If the council doesn’t have a way of controlling it, then there’s going to be a continued reaction by the community.”

In a report, council staff said anti-social behaviour at the gym could be addressed through an education and enforcement approach including appropriate signage.

The council has also proposed meeting with all relevant internal stakeholders to address the issues raised.

Councillors will consider the proposed measures at next week’s council meeting.

The Southern Courier understands several residents will address the meeting and call for the park to be dismantled and relocated to the unused grass area outside of Wylie’s Baths entry – far away from homes.