PAX Aus 2021 - To Happen or not to happen ? That is a good question !

Moose_Head

We've just escaped lockdown 5.0 and left Sydney behind in one for the next month. It's just over 10 weeks to PAX Aus if Melbourne will let it happen.

8 weeks out, well they cancelled the Royal Melbourne Show for September.

Under current rules, it's a bit of a wait and see game, though would be interested in knowing if there is a Go / No Go date.

Dinny

It really could go either way at this point. AusCybercon (a convention of smaller size, but similar makeup in many ways) just cancelled today for November.

I still have my fingers crossed, but have been checking the cancelation policy of my accomodation (good) and flights (less good).

PDP11

Currently the World Trade Centre in Melbourne list of upcoming events is empty, as in zero. Guess this is understandable when you don't know the length of a lockdown. Doesn't bode well for PAX Aus. See https://www.wtca.org/locations/world-trade-center-melbourne/events#events-carousel

Victoria has restrictions on entry to the state. See https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travel-permit-system
Applying for a Permit section includes "It is an offence to enter Victoria without a valid permit, exemption or exception, with fines of up to $5,452. It is an offence to provide misleading information, with fines of up to $1,652."
Map of Zones has the whole of NSW classified as an "Extreme Risk Zone" while the ACT is classifies as an "Orange Zone". Note there is also a link to a List of LGAs and their Zones(CSV) currently in a file called COVID traffic lights feed - corona-virus-vic-gov-au.csv. To access the list you should take the link from the web page at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travel-permit-system#map-of-zones
Extreme Risk Zones section currently states:

If you have been in an extreme risk zone at any time since the zone started over the last 14 days, you cannot enter Victoria unless you have an exemption, exception, Specified Worker Permit, or transit permit. There is no extreme risk zone permit.
This applies to Victorian residents and non-Victorian residents.
Even if you have an exemption, exception or Specified Worker Permit, condition will still apply if you have been in an extreme risk zone. In most cases, these conditions will include quarantine for 14 days.
If you attempt to enter Victoria from an extreme risk zone without an exception, exception or a valid permit, you face a fine of up to AUD$5452 and could be sent back or placed in Hotel Quarantine.
Exemptions are only provided in rare circumstances.

Transit permits are for travelers spending less than 24 hours in Victoria e.g.passing through Victoria on the way to another State, etc.
Specified Worker Permits section has a link to the list of eligible industries. I currently don't see the convention or entertainment industries on this list.
Exceptions and Exemptions section directs people to the Travel Permit Exceptions and Exemptions web page at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/travel-permit-exceptions-exemptions

On the Travel Permit Exceptions and Exemptions web page
Exceptions section includes examples such as "Providing emergency or time-critical essential medical care or other urgent care". Basically you have to read the whole web page to see if your circumstances would apply but I expect the convention industry is not included.
Cross Border Community Residents section could apply to places like Albury etc., therefore unlikely to apply to Sydney residents.
Exemptions section include "Reasons for an exemption may include:" where they give examples such as "going to a funeral or an end-of-life event"

Be aware that conditions may still apply to the exemption. This could include getting tested for COVID-19, isolating and quarantining. These conditions will be outlined if your exemption is granted.
The Department of Health will assess your application and respond. This may take time, as each application is assessed individually.
You cannot enter Victoria until the exemption has been granted.
You should consider not booking any travel before your exemption has been granted.

Personally, if I was a Sydney resident thinking about travelling to Melbourne for PAX Aus I would refer to the RMIT/ABC fact check "Reality check: Would the government's original vaccine timetable have put Australia in a different position?" article on the ABC web site at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-03/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-scott-morrison-original-timetable/100342474
What was the 'most optimistic' scenario for the vaccine rollout? section states:

Towards the end of 2020 and in early 2021 the Morrison government made several promises relating to the pace of the vaccine rollout.

Prominent among them was to fully vaccinate the population over about eight months, starting in late February or early March and finishing in October.

This plan was first articulated by Health Minister Greg Hunt.

During a December 28, 2020 news conference, he said the government expected the population to be fully vaccinated by the end of October.

"Our goal is always under-promise, over-deliver, and we expect that Australians will be fully vaccinated by the end of October, on the basis of it's free, it's universal, and it's entirely voluntary," Mr Hunt said.

Whether Mr Hunt was referring to the adult population (aged over 18), the population aged over 16, or the entire population including children, was never clear.
A similar (though not identical) commitment was made by Mr Morrison a month later.

In a February 1 speech, he said he expected to "offer all Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated by October of this year, commencing in just a few weeks' time".

He added that the first vaccinations remained on track to be in Australia, ready for shipping and distribution to priority groups, from late February.

As an interim target, the Government promised that 4 million people would be vaccinated by the end of March.

If these quotes from the Prime Minister, Mr Morrison and Health Minister Hunt are accurate and the government has under-promised and will over-deliver by October then as the Thunderbirds might say "PAX Aus is good to go". I'd refer you to the whole article not just these selective quotations. Although it is interesting to note the last sentence of the Fact Check article stated:

Had the government delivered on its original timetable, Australia would almost certainly have been in a much stronger position, with shorter lockdowns and less draconian measures needed to quash the virus.

A Google search for the statistics on national COVID-19 vaccination rates included:

Vaccinations by location
From Our World in Data · Last updated: 1 day ago
Country % of population fully vaccinated

Gibraltar                                   >99%
Malta                                       78.0%
Cayman Islands                              74.1%
United Arab Emirates                        72.6%
Iceland                                     71.5%
Isle of Man                                 70.8%
Jersey                                      70.2%
Seychelles                                  70.2%
San Marino                                  67.7%
Uruguay                                     65.9%
Faroe Islands                               65.2%
Chile                                       65.1%
Bahrain                                     64.8%
Bermuda                                     64.2%
Qatar                                       64.0%
Singapore                                   63.4%
Belgium                                     62.7%
Aruba                                       62.6%
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)           62.5%
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  62.4%
Bhutan                                      62.3%
Mongolia                                    61.9%
Canada                                      61.6%
Spain                                       60.2%
Israel                                      59.6%
Turks and Caicos Islands                    59.4%
Portugal                                    59.3%
United Kingdom                              58.6%
Ireland                                     58.4%
Denmark                                     58.2%
Anguilla                                    58.1%
Nauru                                       57.6%
Hungary                                     56.1%
Netherlands                                 55.7%
Cook Islands                                54.9%
Italy                                       54.8%
Germany                                     54.2%
Luxembourg                                  53.8%
Austria                                     53.7%
Cyprus                                      53.6%
Curaçao                                     52.7%
Maldives                                    52.4%
Sint Maarten                                51.8%
United States                               50.5%
Monaco                                      50.3%
France                                      49.7%
Greece                                      49.7%
Switzerland                                 49.3%
Liechtenstein                               49.1%
Greenland                                   49.0%
Czechia                                     47.4%
Poland                                      46.7%
Lithuania                                   46.4%
Andorra                                     44.0%
Mauritius                                   43.8%
Sweden                                      43.4%
Dominican Republic                          40.4%
Slovenia                                    39.9%
Serbia                                      39.1%
British Virgin Islands                      38.1%
Finland                                     38.0%
Estonia                                     37.9%
Saint Kitts and Nevis                       37.6%
Slovakia                                    37.3%
Croatia                                     37.0%
Macao                                       36.7%
Latvia                                      36.5%
Norway                                      36.2%
Hong Kong                                   35.0%
Turkey                                      34.5%
Cambodia                                    34.0%
Japan                                       32.9%
Antigua and Barbuda                         32.0%
Wallis and Futuna                           30.3%
Marshall Islands                            30.1%
Morocco                                     29.8%
Saudi Arabia                                28.0%
Dominica                                    27.4%
Montserrat                                  26.8%
Barbados                                    26.7%
French Polynesia                            26.4%
Northern Cyprus                             26.3%
Federated States of Micronesia              26.3%
Malaysia                                    25.8%
Romania                                     25.3%
El Salvador                                 25.3%
Colombia                                    25.2%
Montenegro                                  25.2%
Cuba                                        24.5%
Kazakhstan                                  22.9%
Jordan                                      22.4%
Kuwait                                      21.9%
Azerbaijan                                  21.9%
New Caledonia                               21.4%
Mexico                                      21.0%
Brazil                                      21.0%
Moldova                                     19.9%
North Macedonia                             19.7%
Albania                                     19.0%
Russia                                      18.7%
Argentina                                   18.2%
Guyana                                      18.2%
Tonga                                       17.9%
Peru                                        17.8%
Australia                                   17.2%

Given COVID-19 variants, delays in the national vaccine rollout, and other issues it would appear that PAX Aus at Jeff's Shed (i.e. the Melbourne Convention Centre) in 2021 must be in doubt.
This has been the best information I could find. Cancellation of PAX Aus is not my call.

Obviously people living outside Victoria e.g. UK, USA, Germany,etc., are unlikely to know the current lock down rules that apply in the state of Victoria, Australia. Therefore I've included the current Victorian Department of Health summary at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-settings. Note: this is just a summary.

Summary of Restrictions

From 8:00pm Thursday 5 August 2021 restrictions across Victoria have changed.
Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.

This means that you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

shopping for necessary goods and services
caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
authorised work or permitted education
exercise (once a day for 2 hours)
to get a COVID-19 vaccination
Victorians may also leave home to visit their intimate partner, their single social bubble buddy, or in an emergency – including those at risk of family violence.

You must stay within 5km of your home for shopping and exercise. This limit does not apply to permitted work or education, when giving or receiving care, getting a

COVID-19 vaccination or visiting an intimate partner or your single social bubble buddy.

Face masks must be worn indoors and outdoors whenever you leave your home.

Face masks do not need to be worn indoors or outdoors if you are working alone unless another person enters that indoor or outdoor space.

You can leave your home in an emergency or if there is family violence.

These actions will protect our loved ones, friends, colleagues, health care workers and the community.

Necessary goods and services
Necessary goods and services include supermarkets, pharmacies, butchers, bottle shops, petrol stations, post offices, banks, food stores, newsagents, liquor stores, and pet stores. Supermarkets will continue to stay open to allow people to buy food, so there is no need to stock up on groceries. Other retail shops will only be available for delivery or contactless click and collect, and workers may attend onsite to facilitate these orders.
Cafes and restaurants will only be able to offer take-away and delivery services.
You can only travel up to 5km from your home for shopping and exercising. You should stay as close to your home as possible, for example, shopping at the nearest supermarket.
For some people, the nearest essential goods and services will be more than 5km away. In this situation, you may travel beyond 5km to the nearest provider.
A person is permitted to drive a person with whom they reside, if it is not otherwise practical for that person to leave the house for a permitted reason.
Only one person per household can leave home to get necessary goods and services. They can leave once a day, which means people can’t make multiple shopping trips. You should limit the time you spend away from home. If you are unable to leave a child, children or a person in your care unattended, they may accompany you. You may accompany someone to shop for support, if necessary, for example, an elderly relative.
If you are taking a child, children or a person in your care with you when you shop you should not leave them in the car unattended while you shop. Leaving children unaccompanied in a vehicle is an offence in Victoria.
Hotel and accommodation providers will be able to stay open to support guests already staying onsite. No new bookings can be made, unless for a permitted reason – for example someone who requires accommodation as an authorised worker.
If you are not at your principal place of residence at 8:00pm Thursday 5 August, it’s encouraged that you stay where you are for the duration of the lockdown.
Funerals will be able to go ahead indoors and outdoors with up to ten people, plus those required to conduct the funeral. Weddings will need to be postponed, unless end of life or other exceptional circumstances apply.
Social interaction (single social bubble)
If you live alone or are a single parent you can create a ‘single social bubble’ by nominating one other person to be a part of your bubble.
You can have the person you form a bubble with visit your home.
Your nominated person can be from a household or share house, and you are also able to visit them in their home, but only when they are alone. If both you and your single social buddy are single parents, your children can be a part of your bubble.
Exercise
You can leave home to exercise, but there are limits:

You must not travel more than 5km from where you live to exercise. You must limit your outdoor exercise to no more than 2 hours per day.
Gyms, pools, community centres, entertainment venues and libraries will all be closed.
Outdoor playgrounds, outdoor skateparks and outdoor gym equipment remain open.
You can exercise with the members of your household or one other friend or family member as long as you both do not travel more than 5km.
Please use common sense and limit the number of people you see in person right now. It is safer to connect with friends and family using phone calls, social media and video calls.
If you are exercising with someone else, you should keep at least 1.5 metres distance between you. Don’t hug, kiss or shake hands.
If you are a parent or guardian who is caring for a child or someone who cannot be left unattended, then they may go with you.
Recreational activities that require the use of a facility will not be allowed. Facilities such as tennis clubs, bowls clubs, shooting ranges and golf clubs will close. Outdoor activities that can be undertaken without accessing a facility, such as hunting, are permitted within the 5km and 2 hour limits.
Health care
You can leave home to receive health care or attend medical appointments (including COVID-19 vaccination appointments or to get a COVID-19 test).
If you need to see a doctor or health care professional, you should do so. Do not put off getting medical care. Your doctor or health care professional can provide advice on how to stay safe.
You can leave home to care for a sick or elderly relative. If you provide care for someone, you should try to keep at least 1.5 metres between you when you can.
Wear a face mask.
You can leave home to accompany someone for essential medical treatment if you are a parent, guardian or necessary support person.
You can take a pet to the vet.
The 5km limit does not apply to care and health care.
Work and education
A list of who is considered an authorised provider or an authorised worker is available here.
If you can work from home – you must work from home.
You can go to work to collect the materials or equipment you need to work from home.
The 5km limit does not apply to work.
All schools will close, except for vulnerable children and children of authorised workers or authorised providers, who can attend for onsite supervision. Schools will continue to support students through remote learning or providing learning materials for use at home.
Universities and TAFEs will close or move to remote learning.
Childcare, family day care, early learning centres and kinders will remain open. A permit is not required.
Victorians may work interstate (where permitted by the state you are working in).
Additionally
You can move homes if you are moving to a property that will be your ordinary and ongoing residence. Removalists may assist you to move, but family and friends cannot.
You can leave home if there is an emergency.
You can leave home if there is family violence or violence by another person in the home, and you are at risk. If you are stopped by police, tell them you are feeling unsafe at home and they will help you. Safe accommodation and support for family violence is available. Call safe steps on 1800 015 188 or email safesteps@safesteps.org.au for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need to leave home, you must wear a face mask, unless you have a lawful reason for not doing so.

Other ways to stay safe
Always wash your hands before you leave, and when you return home.
Keep at least 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
Never, ever go out if you are unwell unless it is to get tested.
After you get tested, you must go straight home.
Remember that the most important thing you can do is get tested, even if you have the mildest of symptoms.
Get vaccinated.