Travelling to Canberra and studying at ANU in 2021
Dear students,
I hope you have had a restful and safe break over the past few weeks.
As you prepare for the 2021 academic year, I'm sure you, your family and friends have some questions about travelling to Canberra, living on campus and studying at ANU in 2021 in light of developments in New South Wales and the subsequent state and territory border changes.
You are receiving this email because your registered address is within a COVID 'hotspot' (as declared by the ACT Government as at Thursday 7 January). At present this includes the Greater Sydney (including Northern Beaches), Central Coast, and Wollongong Local Government Areas. This will probably mean that you will have to arrive in the ACT earlier than expected to allow you to undertake a two-week quarantine period.
This message will provide you more information that may help you plan your travels to Canberra.
The ACT is one of the safest places in Australia from a COVID perspective and we have a robust framework to ensure our campus remains COVID-safe. We are very proud of our ANU community for the part they have played in this, as it means that our campus is safe and ready for our students to join us.
University life is about more than just classes and exams and our goal is to have as much on campus attendance and activity as is safe and possible within the current guidelines. We can provide assistance for 14-day quarantine accommodation for commencing students as per the following arrangements.
Student accommodation
This option will be available for students who have signed a contract to live in student accommodation (ANU Halls, ANU UniLodges, Burgmann College and John XXIII College) for 2021. The arrangements for home-based quarantine in student accommodation are subject to approval by ACT Health and we are currently working through the specific details.
Applications for accommodation are still open so please do apply if you would like to live on campus in 2021.
All students living in on campus accommodation will need to complete this form to seek an exemption to travel to ACT.
Private residence accommodation
If you plan to live in private accommodation throughout the semester (such as a share house with friends), ACT Health asks that you provide evidence of your ACT address and that you complete this online declaration. More information is available here, including helpful FAQs.
ACT Health will provide you with approval and information to allow you to quarantine in this residence. We will support you with welfare checks and online counselling. Our assumption is that you can effectively quarantine in your private accommodation. However, if this is not the case please contact communitywellbeing@anu.edu.au who can provide support and advice.
More details on home-based quarantining, exemptions, and travel options will be available in coming days as we continue to work out details with ACT Health.
So that we can support your return with any necessary documentation, please complete this online form, which will provide us with the information we need to assist with any quarantine or other requirements you may need.
We will continue to provide flexible study options for all ANU courses for those of you who are unable to travel to Canberra to commence your 2021 studies on campus.
As the situation in each state and territory may change, we will continually update our website with the most relevant information. Please take some time to review that information and the ACT Health COVID website to ensure your plans adhere to all health and safety guidelines. We will also directly contact those who are affected by Government announcements.
We understand this is a busy and exciting time, but it can also be very confusing for you and your support networks, especially when there are so many extra factors to consider.
If you need any further advice or information, we will be holding virtual forums to answer any questions you, your parents or friends may have about travelling to the ACT from a hotspot, quarantine and accommodation, or our University's COVID-safe practices and guidelines.
The times and dates of the forums are:
- Monday 11 January at 5:30pm AEDT - register here
- Wednesday 13 January at 12:30pm AEDT - register here
Please forward this email to anyone who also may wish to attend any of these forums. If you are unable to attend any of the above forums, the recordings will be available afterwards here.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus.
Stay safe,
Sally
Professor Sally Wheeler OBE MRIA FAcSS
Acting Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International Strategy)
Dean and Robert Garran Professor of Law, ANU Law
The Australian National University, Canberra | CRICOS Provider: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
