Aon NZ Short Course Championships UPDATE

Tēnā Koutou

As you will have seen yesterday, the Government has decided to extend the existing Covid Alert Levels until at least midnight Monday 21st September. Next Monday, the Government will consider whether Auckland can move from level 2.5 to level 2 (moving to level 1 is highly unlikely) and the rest of the country moving from level 2 to level 1. If Auckland does move down the alert levels to level 2 mid next week, it is likely, based on past decisions, that Auckland would stay in level 2, with the accompanying restrictions on gatherings of up to 100 people, for up to 14 days taking us into the Short Course Championship due to commence on Tuesday 6 October.

With the ongoing uncertainty around the change of alert levels and the requirement for a host city to be in level 1 to hold a national championships event, we are proposing that to significantly increase the likelihood of being able to hold the Short Course Championships, that this event be moved to Waterworld in Hamilton on the same dates.

We are currently working with Waterworld management and Hamilton City Council staff on the logistics of this move including the requirement from Hamilton City Council that Auckland swimmers be isolated from non-Auckland swimmers for the duration of the event except for when they compete. Obviously, there is a lot to work through to ensure that this can occur meaning that we cannot confirm the move to Hamilton until our Event Safety Plan has been approved.

As soon as we have the green light from Hamilton City Council and Waterworld management, we will send out another update which we expect to be within the next 48 hours.

We appreciate your patience as we work through the logistics of the proposed move to Hamilton.

Hei konā mai

Steve Johns
CEO of Swimming New Zealand