City to fight parkour

Andrew Mathieson
CITY Hall is preparing to fight a war against the dangers of parkour.
Growing popularity of the activity, in which participants put their bodies on the line leaping between urban landscape obstacles, has raised eyebrows at the City.
Mayor John Mitchell said Geelong’s council had been considering how illegal parkour could fall under general local laws.
“We’re concerned that, in an uncontrolled environment with people who are probably not trained to do so, it could become a dangerous exercise,” Cr Mitchell said.
“The local laws people have told me they’ll exercise control over this activity if it impinges on the amenity and if it endangers other members of the public – that’s where we’re coming from.
“If people are trespassing or endangering others while they’re doing this activity, we just can’t really tolerate that.”
Cr Mitchell said “dangerous activities” were already covered within local laws.
Parkour followers say they abide by a code of conduct that condones the use of public or private property.
The Australian Parkour Association website describes the aim of the activity as trying to “overcome all physical and mental obstacles in your path by using your body and mind to run, climb, jump and vault”.
Cr Mitchell said council planned to crack down on rogue parkour enthusiasts who had been observed scaling buildings.
“If people performing parkour enter buildings illegally doing what they do, we’ll consider that an illegal activity in itself,” he said.
The City had no plans to supply parkour venues despite last month launching a youth precinct along Geelong’s waterfront for skateboarding, musical acts and basketball games.
Council sanctioned a supervised parkour instruction session at Johnston Park, metres away from City Hall, in October.
“No one wants to bag an activity that adds to the health and well-being of young people,” Cr Mitchell said.
Parkour was founded in France, with the discipline demanding participants overcome branches, rocks, rails and concrete walls when practising their movements.
The activity has often been confused with the riskier pursuit of free running, which has featured in popular films.