Anzac veterans baulk at toeing sign-up line

Veterans are holding the line on not registering for Melbourne’s Anzac Day march as commemorative services around the country face low attendances.

The Anzac Day march in Melbourne in 2019. Picture: Jason Edwards

Veterans are holding the line on not registering for Melbourne’s Anzac Day march as commemorative services around the country face low attendances under strict COVID restrictions, despite more relaxed rules covering the AFL.

Just 1267 veterans out of a possible 5500 had signed up to march along St Kilda Road by Monday afternoon, with regis­trations closing on Tuesday at midday. In 2019, about 25,000 ­attended.

It came as Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino faced mounting pressure on Monday to bump up the limit, amid speculation the state government could later in the week allow up to 100,000 fans into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the annual Anzac Day AFL clash between Collingwood and Essendon.

Mr Merlino left open the possibility the Anzac Day march cap could be lifted, after the state reported 52 days without a locally acquired case of COVID-19 on Monday. “Public health (officials) are in continuous engagement with the RSL. We continue to engage co-operatively and constructively to make sure we appropriately commemorate this most special day in the lives of all Australians,” he said.

“We want as many people there as possible … under the COVID-safe plan. I know the RSL have been actively promoting and ensuring people register their participation in the march and that has been happening through last week and it will continue to happen.”

In Western Australia, the main Anzac Day service in Perth’s King Park would normally attract up to 30,000 people, but is limited this year to 10,000.

And while at least 400 local events will take place to commemorate Anzac Day in Victoria, smaller events hosted by RSL branches in WA were at risk of being cancelled because of COVID restrictions.

Smaller services expected to attract more than 500 people are required to comply with COVID measures and has stretched the resources of many community RSL branches.

Belmont RSL president Alan Richardson told Perth radio station 6PR the branch’s service would not go ahead because of the cost and complexity of complying with WA’s COVID safety requirements.

“I came out of the football (on Friday night) and stood with 10,000 to 15,000 people trying to cram on to buses,” he said.

“We are looking at maybe 2000 people in a park standing quietly and listening to the Last Post and the Reveille, the national anthem, and then going home. And yet we cannot conduct that service due to the service requirements of COVID.”

RSL WA president John McCourt said most of the branches were pushing ahead with their services under the remaining restrictions.

He said he understood the government’s contrasting approach to football. “Everyone at the footy is seated, so there’s a considerable difference with what we’re having at Kings Park, where 90 per cent stand,” he said.

“We get it, we’re not making criticisms of anyone. We are just going to crack on and commemorate Anzac Day as best we can.”

Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Sydney’s 2GB radio he did not “understand why” 30,000 could attend a footy game “but you can’t have that same number at an Anzac Day service”.

In Sydney, about 140 associ­ations and 600 individuals have registered to participate in the Sunday march out of 10,000 ­attendees. In previous years, an estimated 12,000 veterans and their descendants marched in the Sydney CBD.