RPAC closes down as council gears up for COVID-19
Shows at the region’s most popular venue will be cancelled as the council steps up its actions against coronavirus.
Redlands Coast
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SHOWS at the Redlands’ most popular concert venue have been scratched as the council ramps up to fight the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
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Redland City Council announced it has activated plans to mitigate effects of the emerging COVID-19 outbreak, while trying preserving critical services.
Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG), Mayor Karen Williams moved the group to ‘lean forward’ status last week to ensure heightened vigilance and preparedness.
“Both myself and Cr Wendy Boglary, as deputy chair of the LDMG, have been working with Council’s CEO and the group,” she said.
“Teams are working and planning across council to ensure continuation of essential services should COVID-19 impact heavily on Redlands Coast.
“The LDMG is also receiving regular briefs from federal and state health authorities to assist with planning; and council’s Business Continuation and Pandemic plans have been activated.
“This means community members will start to see advisory posters and health messaging consistent with that of the Australian and Queensland governments, which are leading the health communications on COVID-19.
“Our priority at council is the health and safety of our community and employees; and other necessary actions may be taken as the situation evolves and more information comes to hand.”
She said the council was working with local event organisers to assist them in preparing for changes in line with the Australian Government’s direction to cancel static, non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people after today.
Council’s Redland Performing Arts Centre will be closed from today until Thursday, April 30, with all performances during this time cancelled or postponed.
COVID-19 CONFIRMED IN THE REDLANDS
REDLANDS COUNCIL ENACTS PANDEMIC PLAN
Cr Williams said: “We have many performances at RPAC in the coming weeks that have more than 500 people due to attend or are close to this number.
“As always, the safety of our audience, employees and artists is our highest priority.
“A large proportion of our regular audience members are elderly and therefore more at risk should they become infected with the virus.
“Due to the vulnerability of our regular theatre audience and the need for many of our performing artists to travel interstate, Council has made the difficult decision to temporarily close RPAC to protect the health of our audience members and artists, and to help reduce the risk of this virus spreading further.”
Performances affected include Charmaine Wilson, The Sapphires, Gravity & Other Myths – Backbone, The Australian Tenors – Spirit of Australia Tour, Redland Sinfonia – Passion Play, #FirstWorldWhiteGirls – Spirit Animal, Prada’s Priscillas, Flipside Circus School Holiday Workshops, The Wiggles – Fun and Games Tour, Beautiful Noise – The Life & the Music of Neil Diamond, Three Legends in Concert, The One Day of the Year, The Owl and the Pussycat and Orava Quartet.
The council said RPAC box office staff would contact patrons who have already bought tickets to these shows to offer a rescheduled date and/or a refund as appropriate.
Performances from May 2020 onwards will be reviewed regularly and updates will be available on the RPAC website its Facebook page
Earlier today:
THE bayside’s most prominent events hall has continued on despite calls for people to practice social isolation.
A rendition of Come Fly With Me went a head at Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) over the weekend ahead of official restrictions on mass gatherings being imposed today.
“Today’s performance of Come Fly with Me at 2pm is still going ahead,” the centre’s website read Saturday.
“This performance has less than 500 people attending so is still able to go ahead under the recommendations for non-essential events and gatherings that will come into effect from Monday 16 March.”
The centre confirmed RPAC staff were taking “extra precautions” including regular cleaning of all surfaces in the Concert Hall — which can seat 550 people — and the provision of hand sanitiser for guests.
“In line with current recommendations, people attending any events are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and avoid attending any events if they have flu like symptoms, have returned from overseas travel in the last 14 days from affected countries, or have been given advice from their doctor to avoid public gatherings,” the centre said.
“Other events that are due to take place in the coming weeks at RPAC will be reviewed regularly in line with current recommendations that are provided by the government.
“If any events are cancelled or postponed then RPAC Box Office staff will contact any patrons due to attend that event and updates will be provided on our Facebook page and website.”
Among the first performances to be pulled from the venue could be the April 9 shows by The Wiggles.
The group is scheduled to play three sold-out shows as part of its Fun and Games tour in the Concert Hall — which can seat 550 people — on the day however new mass gathering regulations may rule it out.
The group last week announced it would postpone its remaining Sydney shows which were scheduled for this week, sparking further concerns the Redlands shows — and dozens of others around southeast Queensland — would also be put on ice.
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