Karting Australia has released its detailed blueprint for the recommencement of Karting in the COVID-19 Environment. The two documents “Restart Your Kart” and “COVIDSafe Karting Events” outline in detail the requirements that the sport must meet at all levels to restart and then continue to progress as Government restrictions are gradually eased around the country.
“Restart Your Kart” is Karting Australia’s strategy to get Karting started again in a COVIDSafe Environment is the basis for our formal submission to the Federal Government and all State Chief Health Officers and Public Health Authorities. It highlights eight imperative principles that the sport must follow to ensure the safety of all Licence Holders, Officials and Club Members:
- Restriction and Declaration
- Regulation and Compliance
- Hygiene
- Social Distancing and Density
- Critical Assessment, Planning and Preparation
- Appointment of a COVIDSafe Officer
- The extensive use of Posters, Signs, and Communication
- Training and Education
“COVIDSafe Karting Events” is the ‘how to’ companion document that provides detailed, step by step processes that Member States and Affiliated Clubs will be required to follow in the weeks and months ahead.
“Our plans and documentation all align with the Federal Government’s “3 Step Framework for a COVIDSafe Australia”, the “National Principles for The Resumption of Sport and Recreation Activities” and the “AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport,” said Karting Australia CEO Kelvin O’Reilly.
“The release of these blueprint documents follows the late April release of our five-stage map of the ‘Road Out of Lockdown’ for our sport of Karting across the country in.
“Tonight, we start an intensive run of webinars with all Affiliated Clubs and Member States to get them prepared for the restart. Within the next two weeks, we should have a COVIDSafe Karting Events training course online in the Karting Australia Officials Academy powered by Rosche Paper.
“The planning and development of our blueprint to recommence has been designed to be scalable, responsive, and flexible. It takes account of the variable easing of restrictions in different States and Territories; and the lifting of state border closures at what we envisage to be different times at different borders."
For the foreseeable future, all karting activities will continue to be required to take place in a fully regulated environment Karting Australia’s specially prepared COVID-19 Supplementary Regulations and an Organising Permit issued by Karting Australia or a Member State Association in accordance with Karting Australia Rules.
“The regulating of all karting activities enables us to be as certain as we can be that everything that happens on a Karting Australia licenced track will be done in accordance with all State Public Health Authorities and Government requirements and Karting Australia Rules and with full insurance provided by Karting Australia,” said O’Reilly.
“The plans envisage the prioritising of Club Karting at social or recreational level in small numbers that align with State Government requirements. As restrictions ease, and as a result the numbers can increase, then the social karting activities will be upscaled before Club competition recommences.
“We move forward as restrictions are further eased from club level competition to, intrastate competition before progressing to National competition. We have already flagged with the State Government Public Health Authorities in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria our desires to recommence the Australian Kart Championship in the last part of the year.
“The timing of the progression from Club to Zonal and State Series Karting are matters that we will discuss with the Member States at the appropriate time.
“This pandemic is far from over. There is no instant start up and certainly no return to what we used to know. On the track the racing will be the same but off track, at the Club Social Distancing and Hygiene will be paramount and we will be expecting everyone to be cautious and to continue to do the right thing – the things that have led to Australia ‘flattening the curve’ in the last two months.”
Karting Australia will continue to update the resources on the dedicated COVID-19 page on https://www.karting.net.au/administration/covid-19-information. This page contains all of the communication to Member States and Clubs along with a significant amount of resources that have been provided to all affiliated Clubs over the past two months.