Another Anzac Day parade has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic amid concerns over the ability for such an event to be run safely.
Key points:
- The COVID pandemic has forced a re-evaluation of Anzac Day events around the country
- Hobart has followed Melbourne’s lead and cancelled the parade through the city
- Other cities are going ahead or running smaller events
In a statement on Friday, the Tasmanian RSL announced Tasmania’s parade through the streets of Hobart would not proceed on April 25.
RSL Tasmania president Robert Dick said social distancing requirements made the march unfeasible and “very hard to police”.
“You do have situations where there’s narrower streets people have to go through … to have people 1.5 metres apart, it would extend the march for a great length of time and it would be very hard to police,” he said.
“Please accept the fact that this is not any easy decision.
“We’re disappointed, however the safety of our veterans and the public is foremost in our minds.”
The dawn service and commemorative wreath-laying service would still go ahead at the Hobart Cenotaph, but would be smaller events, he said.
“You can make sure there is plenty of space for social distancing.”
Mr Dick said there would still be opportunities to remember the sacrifice made by servicemen and women.
He urged people to commemorate from home or go to their local RSL service if it was being run.
Burnie, in Tasmania’s north-west, is proceeding with the parade through the town.
Last week, RSL Victoria announced the cancellation of Melbourne’s Anzac Day parade.
New South Wales will go ahead with its Anzac Day parade on April 25.
The Sydney CBD March will be limited to 500 participants.
RSL NSW will conduct a ballot for veterans to participate in the March and places will be allocated across each service branch and conflict from World War II to current operations.
RSL NSW president Ray James said the “Light Up the Dawn” campaign would happen again this year.
Parades in Adelaide and Darwin will still go ahead.
Queensland’s march and service in Brisbane will go ahead, but it will only involve invited veterans and feature scaled down events compared with previous years.
RSL WA said the “traditional Anzac Day commemoration will go ahead this year with a dawn service at the State War Memorial, a street parade through the Perth CBD and the commemorative service at the Perth Concert Hall”.
It is yet to be decided if there will be a march in Canberra.
Anzac Day commemorations will still take place at the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra.