Ohakune needs an ice skating rink

Ruapehu Bulletin, 11 August 1992, Page 13

Ohakune needs an ice skating rink

BY

rDENNIS

BEYTAGH

Last week's Bulletin carried news of the proposed Olympic-sized ice-skating rink in Rochfort Park which, it is hoped, will be in place and operating by the start of the 1993 ski season. Preliminary estimates have been obtained for this project and look promising. A cost saving of about 50 per cent has been achieved by replacing the conventional rigid wall-and-frame structure with an

all-weather air-supported membrane cover. Whilst this form of protective cover may be novel and revolutionary for New Zealand it has been in use for many years overseas. A huge air-dome over the North Sydney Olympic Pool has been used during the winter months for the past 14 years. Not only are savings achieved by eliminating the cost of conventional building materials but

no major ground preparation or foundation/floor work is required to support the structure. The foundation work consists of 'ground anchors' spaced at intervals around the base of the canopy. Sceptics will no doubt find this concept for such a large sports and recreational facility difficult to accept - or even imagine - as a practical altemative to a conventional building (as indeed I was until I saw it

in operation) but the 'Anticlastic Tension Membrane System' has been tested and proved over many years. It meets Australian Standards 1170 and 1250. It also has many other practical advantages: • It costs about half of the conventional rigid-structure to install. • It requires no maintenance such as regular cleaning or painting... excellent self-cleaning properties are achieved under normal rainfall. • It requires no artificial lighting during daylight hours because the membrane (Tedlar) is translucent. • It requires no insulation because the interior air temperature is maintained by the air that is used to inflate the structure. • It will shed snow simply by regulating the temperature inside the 2mm thick Tedlar skin. • Because the lightweight membrane is flexible and nonflammable earthquakes and fires pose no danger. If Ohakune is to ensure its future beyond any doubt it must be able to guarantee that visitors to the town - both in summer and winter - will be provided with some alternative recreational activity when the weather 'packs up' as it has done so many times this year. Last weekend was a classic example: the

skifield was closed on both days and no fewer than 400 enquiries were fielded at the Ruapehu Visitor Information Centre in Ohakune on Saturday by people seeking some alternative activity. Literally hundreds of people - most of them frustrated skiers who had come to Ohakune with the intention of spending their money on the mountain - were to be seen wandering aimlessly around town. Others would have left Ohakune to seek diversions elsewhere. Had an ice-rink been available up to 2,500 skaters per day (500 per session for each of the five two and a half hour sessions) could have been catered for. The only way to provide a reliable recreational service to visitors and locals in this climate is with an allweather, all-year-round facility such as a covered ice-rink and swimming pool. If something is not done - and soon - to provide this altemative activity, a huge legacy of frustration and disillusionment with the image and reputation of Ohakune as a winter sports resort will build up. It is no longer a question of wishful dreaming that at some time in the future Ohakune may have an ice-rink.

It is absolutely imperative that this becomes a reality as soon as possi-

ble... if ever proof was needed last weekend has been a classic example.