THIS Saturday’s Mildura Weir parkrun event has been cancelled again due to reclassifications by the Victorian Government.
Mildura Weir parkrun event director Trish Pongraz said the current classification of parkrun across Victoria as “outdoor physical recreation and sport” leaves the event unable to go ahead.
Ms Pongraz said they were hoping this weekend’s event wouldn’t be cancelled, but, under the new classification, parkrun is required to check the vaccination status of everyone who attends.
Ms Pongraz said this is not practical for the event.
“We can’t control who is there,” she said.
“Whether they are registered with us or just members of the public using the lot ground.”
Ms Pongraz said its frustrating that it all comes down to the classification.
“It’s a paperwork or administration decision that we don’t have much control over.”
The last time a parkrun event was held in Mildura was in early September.
“We were only there for one week and then we were shut down again because we were reclassified.”
According to Ms Pongraz, the reclassifications are an ongoing problem for parkrun.
Ms Pongraz said parkrun only has the options of “trying to negotiate with the government to change our classification again” or waiting for Phase D of the roadmap to commence.
But Ms Pongraz added that they do not even know what Phase D looks like or what it will bring them.
In an email, parkrun stated it is “investigating whether it may be possible to change parkrun’s classification from physical recreation to community sport, as vaccination status does not apply to community sport.”
Ms Pongraz said they feel as they are waiting “in limbo”.
