City of Albany facilities reopen under phase two of COVID-19 recovery

City of Albany facilities started to reopen their doors yesterday as WA made a cautious step back towards normality under phase two of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. City facilities were closed to the public in March as the State Government took drastic steps to protect the community from the onset of the pandemic. The new guidelines will see a cautious return for many sectors of the community this week, with restaurants and cafes welcoming dine-in patrons under strict social distancing rules, and students required to return to school. City chief executive Andrew Sharpe said City facilities and services would be modified to meet new State Government guidelines and reviewed as restrictions were eased further. “We’re very excited about transitioning our facilities back to operating,” he said. “That’s a good sign for our community and is testament to the work everyone has done to stop the spread of COVID 19. “We still need to balance reopening our facilities with the health and safety of our community, and achieve that sustainably too, which presents some challenges. “But we’ll work through that carefully and do what’s in the best interests of our community and ratepayers. “We’ll continue to strive to meet the changes the State Government makes wherever possible, but due to some operational changes there may be some temporary delays in resuming full service delivery in some instances.” Under the new guidelines, outdoor and indoor fitness classes, and non-contact community sports can return for up to 20 people. As a result, the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre opened its stadium courts, member group fitness classes and creche services from Monday. Despite community swimming pools also being allowed to open for up to 20 people, the ALAC pools will remain closed for the time being. Albany Public Library also opened yesterday, operating five days a week under new opening hours. The Bakers Junction Waste Transfer Station will reopen on Saturdays from this weekend. The Vancouver Arts Centre will reopen to hire groups from next Monday but will not reopen to the public until restrictions are eased. From next Tuesday, council meetings will return to council chambers, with up to 10 members of the public permitted to attend. The Albany Visitor Centre, National Anzac Centre, Fossicker’s Tip Shop and museums remain closed.