Round 1 of this year’s RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship has been rescheduled in mid-April following extreme weather in and around Canberra.

The Netier National Capital Rally was planned for this coming weekend (March 26-28), but will now be held on April 9-11.

Heavy rain has lashed parts of New South Wales and Queensland in recent days, causing flooding at Lakeside Park, but the Australian Capital Territory has not been immune.

Rally organisers were therefore unable to obtain a permit from the ACT Parks and Conservation Service, but have quickly moved to arrange a new date for the event.

“We’re disappointed that the event has to be postponed; however event organisers have worked quickly to secure a new date just two weeks later in April,” said Motorsport Australia director of motorsport and commercial operations, Michael Smith.

National Capital Rally’s Adrian Dudok added, “A lot of work has gone into this event and while it’s unfortunate we can’t run the event this coming week, to have a new date locked away so quickly is a terrific result.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to this event in April and thank our sponsors, competitors and officials for their ongoing support.”

The National Capital Rally is one of six events on this year’s Motorsport Australia Rally Championship calendar, which wraps up in November with the recently confirmed Coffs Harbour round where billing is shared with the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.