Thank you to all those members who have provided feedback in recent weeks, both directly to the Committee and to our amazing Admin Officer. Your support is truly appreciated, particularly given some of the tough decisions that we have had to make in the build up to re-opening the lodges on 22 June. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road so far, and with a second wave of infections taking hold in Victoria, there are likely to be plenty more challenges ahead.
Regardless of our preparations, we must continue to remain prepared for sudden and significant operational changes. The recent decision to suspend operations at Hotham and Falls Creek, following the introduction of new restrictions in Victoria, is a stark example of how quickly changes can occur. It remains our hope NSW and ACT can avoid a second wave, and we encourage all members to continue to follow government advice in regards to social distancing, hygiene, and testing.
The Committee continues to monitor the situation closely, and is making adjustments to the COVID-19 Management Plan, as appropriate. We have published V1.1 of the Plan, with the following updates:
- Confirmation of opening dates and lodge capacity
- Removal of the reference to private health insurance (as this is not required for COVID-19 testing/treatment)
- Added restriction on staying at a lodge if a member or guest has been in the location of a COVID-19 hotspot in the 2 weeks prior
- Clarification that bookings (or changes) must be received no later than 5 pm the day before the booking commences (previously this was 24 hours)
- Significant revision of the incident response procedure (Section 9.1) where a current guest develops COVID-19 symptoms (as the advice has changed since the initial version)
- Minor revision of the incident response procedure (Section 9.2) where a past guest reports a positive test for COVID-19
- Minor revision to the Incident Response and Recovery Checklists
You can find the complete Plan, together with a Summary in the COVID-19 Essential Information. The Plan will continue to be updated as new advice is received and government regulations change. To receive notifications of updates, we strongly recommend subscribing to Skimail (please email cac.office@cac.org.au if you do not currently receive this). Alternatively, please join the CAC – Canberra Alpine Club Facebook group.
Since my last update we have been informed by SLOPES (the Ski Lodges Organisation of Perisher Smiggins and Guthega) that the following lodges are not operating – Eremo (Perisher), Gunuma (Smiggins), IMBAC (Smiggins), Kooloora (Perisher), and Tate (Guthega). The majority of other lodges are opening at reduced capacity (like us), and there are some that are opening at full capacity.
The Committee is regularly reviewing the decisions regarding lodge capacity. The advice from NSW Health (e.g. the 4m2 rule) is a key consideration, but we are also considering the ability for members and guests to observe appropriate social distancing within the lodges, as well as the risk of a second wave due to community transmission. For now, the capacities are remaining at 23 (for Jindabyne) and 26 (for Perisher).
This year continues to be challenging for all of us, and for the Club, and with the risk of a second wave in NSW and ACT, we need to ensure that we follow the health guidelines, and maintain our COVID-19 Management Plan. We appreciate all your support and welcome any further feedback. As always, if you need my assistance, please email me on president@cac.org.au.
