Subsidised fitness classes in rural locations are the focus of a new Active in the Regions program expected to kick off in July as Mackay Regional Council, Queensland, calls for expressions of interest (EOI) from physical activity providers.
Mayor, Greg Williamson, said a report released in December last year by the Heart Foundation found the Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday greater region ranked ninth on the national ladder when it came to a lack of exercise and movement and fourth on the list of high blood pressure hotspots.
“Those aren’t lists that we want to be on, so Council is passionate about findings ways to enable residents in getting active, no matter where they live in our region.”
The Mayor said Council would like to receive EOIs from providers able to host classes and programs in rural localities in all corners of the region.
“We want to see activities being delivered from Eungella to Koumala, Midge Point to Habana and everywhere in between.
“And obviously, it would be great to have a variety of physical activity on offer – imagine a yoga class up at Eungella or personal training classes on the beachfront at Seaforth.
“It’d be tremendous to combine the natural beauty of our rural areas with these subsidised fitness programs.”
Active in the Regions is an initiative of Mackay Regional Council and the North Queensland Sports Foundation.
