Community sport will return in stages with children given priority under principles that National Cabinet set on Friday, amid moves to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
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Newcastle Tigers Hockey Club president Michael Wallis welcomed the focus on children first.
"Our club is very kid-focused. We have boys and girls' teams from under-6s to under-18s," Mr Wallis said.
"To get them back as quickly as possible is the priority, especially for the teenagers. To keep them interested is a big thing."
Mr Wallis added that "the quicker we can get everyone back on the hockey field the better".
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was important that people "should be able to see sport, but they should be able to play it as well".
"The initial phase accommodates, where possible, for the resumption of children's outdoor sport with strict physical distancing measures for non-sporting attendees such as parents," Mr Morrison said.
The national principles state that the resumption of community sport "should take place in a staged fashion", with an initial phase of training in small groups of less than 10 people in "a non-contact fashion".
This would occur prior to "moving on to a subsequent phase of large group activities [more than 10 people], including full-contact training/competition in sport".
While children's sport was given priority for the "initial phase", the principles further stated: "All individuals who participate in and contribute to sport and recreation will be considered in resumption plans".
The principles allow for outdoor activities among all ages "including but not limited to personal training and boot camps, golf, fishing, bush walking, swimming etc".
The principles comprise three phases for the return of community sport - A, B and C - set by the Australian Institute of Sport.
State governments will determine progression through these phases, taking account of "local epidemiology, risk mitigation strategies and public health capability".
Detection of a positive COVID-19 case in a sporting or recreation club or organisation could lead to "quarantine of a whole team or large group, and close contacts, for the required period".
Mr Morrison said these matters would be further considered next week.
"Decisions have not been taken to move on any of those matters," he said.
"These principles set out the basis on which we might be able to go forward."
Hunter sporting associations and clubs have been managing issues around season schedules, registration fees and finances, amid uncertainty around winter sport.
Mr Wallis said the Newcastle Tigers Hockey Club had spent more than $20,000 on new uniforms for seniors and juniors for this season.
"We haven't had uniforms for the club for about eight years," he said.
"We'll get through it, but I've got no doubt there will be other sporting communities and clubs that have probably done something similar and might be a lot worse off."
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