Please see below the following updates regarding announcements made recently by the Victorian Government. While the announcements were significant yesterday, the current information is that we are still only allowed restricted basketball activities as per the Outdoor Training Guidelines.
Updates to Victorian COVID-19 Restrictions and Stage 3 Changes
The Victorian Government has made the following changes impacting basketball and the return to community sport regarding coronavirus (COVID-19).
From 11:59pm on 31 May the following changes will come into effect:
- Non-contact outdoor sporting activities (e.g. basketball training sessions) will increase to 20 people plus the instructor (previously 10 people plus the instructor) as per the previously distributed Outdoor Training Guidelines
From 11:59pm on 21 June – and in line with the most up-to-date advice of the Chief Health Officer – the following changes will be made:
- Indoor sports centres and physical recreation venues, including gyms, to open with up to 20 people per single undivided indoor space and up to 10 people per group/activity at any one time.
We are currently working through what these changes will mean for basketball with Sport and Recreation Victoria, while working through our Return to Sport Guidelines and will have further updates on these changed conditions as soon as available.
You can read the full update from the Victorian Government here.
Community Sport Sector Short-term Survival Package
The Victorian Government announced a $40 million Community Sport Sector Short-term Survival Package to provide grants to support the operational viability of community sport and active recreation organisations impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s new Experience Economy Survival Package providing urgent support to help a range of key organisations, associations and clubs ride out the economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and help them reboot, rebound and recover.
The Community Sport Sector Short-term Survival Package includes $40 million for community sport organisations in four categories:
- Grants of up to $350,000 available for large state sporting associations;
- Grants of up to $200,000 available to smaller state sporting associations; regional sports assemblies, academies and other state sport and recreational bodies;
- Grants of up to $15,000 are available for associations and leagues; and
- Grants of $1,000 are available for individual clubs.
We are dissecting the eligibility criteria and specifics of the program to help associations and clubs that are eligible to get assistance as soon as possible.
For specific details on the program, including the objectives of the fund, the number of applications that can be submitted under each stream, the grant amounts available and eligibility of applications please refer to the guidelines, which are available via the Sport and Recreation Victoria website
We aim to hold an online meeting with members in the next week when we have further clarification for our return to sport and so we can discuss the impacts, timeline and strategy. Details to be provided shortly.
Basketball Victoria will continue to work with government and advocate on behalf of basketball to ensure our sport is able to return in a safe, manageable and prompt fashion.