The 16 regional carnivals, one of which is being held in Shepparton, and two state championships were called off on Tuesday night because of COVID-19, but later that night the Victorian Government issued permits for the events to go ahead.
“The two major impediments for proceeding with the 2021 Region Track and Field Carnivals were one, the lack of permission to run our region carnivals and state championship events from the state government's COVID-19 events team and two, the lack of manpower available for region committees to organise the events within the required time,” a Little Athletics Victoria statement said.
“Both of these issues have now been resolved.”
A teleconference was conducted with representatives from all seven regions on Wednesday morning to discuss the prospect of conducting region track and field carnivals for each region.
All regions were in agreeance to proceed, with the proviso that extra state government support and resources would be made available.
The state government has pledged whatever support and resources would be required to help successfully run the events.
Shepparton Little Athletics Centre president Aileen Zanelli said despite the short turnaround they were looking forward to hosting.
“For us, it's a great chance to showcase our track and Shepparton as a whole.
“Because it's a two-day event, visitors come and stay overnight and we're thrilled to see the kids compete.”
Due to border restrictions, Shepparton will also host the regional relays, originally planned for Albury, during the final weekend in February.
The late-night decision by the Victorian Government means all Little Athletics Victoria regional and state events throughout summer are now approved.
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