Ice rink idea at crossroads

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 551, 30 August 1994, Page 1

Ice rink idea at crossroads

Next Saturday marks an important point for the future of the proposed ice skating rink in Ohakune. The driving force behind the project, Dennis Beytagh, says he has taken the idea as far as he can and now it needs wider support. Mr Beytagh, with support from a small group, has been working on the proposal for over two years. A meeting is to be held in the Ohakune Club at which the results of a two-year investigation into an ice skating facility will be presented.

Nearly 300 invitations have been sent out to local businesses, ski and tramping clubs with lodges in Ohakune, National Park and Whakapapa as well as local community groups inviting them to send representatives to the meeting to hear details of a feasibility study completed earlier this year. "The. purpose of these 'local' invitations is to ensure that those who live and work or regularly visit the area are given the first opportunity of becoming involved in what is going to be a major

attraction and asset for the Waimarino community," said project convener Dennis Beytagh of Ohakune. "Given the continued success of our two local skifields and their ability to attract thousands of visitors each year there is no doubt whatsoever that one day Ohakune will have an ice skating rink to provide those visitors and locals alike with an offmountain, all-weather recreational, sporting and entertainment facility . . . and the sooner the better".

"Such a facility — which could cope with hundreds of skaters at any one time — can only be of benefit to the entire community," he said. "Not only would it provide those of us who live in the Ohakune, Raetihi, Waiouru and National Park communities with a guaranteed alternative when bad weather rules out other recreational activities but it would also benefit local businesses by attracting visitors from further afield to an Turn to Page 2

Ice rink idea at crossroads

acti vity which cannot be obtained any where else in the southern half of the North Island." "Nor would visitors be attracted here only during the ski seasons as now but

they would continue to come throughout the year, and this would increase patronage of local restaurants, accommodationhouses and ski lodges," said Mr Beytagh.

"Even during the ski season itself the skifields - which might see the ice rink as competition - would benefit because visitors who have come to ski will stay on over spells of bad weather instead of heading home as they do now". The meeting on Saturday will make public for the first time the findings of the feasibility study completed earlier this year and will include such details as capital costs of two alternative size rinks (one capable of handling nearly 800 skaters at any one time or a smaller rink with a capacity for up to 300), operational expense costings, income projections, ownership structures, naming rights etc.

The feasibility study, using 'conservative' patronage figures well below those obtained from two surveys conducted over the past two years, concludes that both rinks would not only be viable but would be a sound financial investment with every prospect of producing a very profitable retum over a very short period. "I only hope that some local investor or group of investors or organisation recognises this when they see the figures," said Mr Beytagh. "By my own estimates - supported by the results of two surveys - the capital costs of the smaller rink ($400,000-$700,000) could be recovered in a single ski season and even sooner if

the ski season was a bad one and closed the skifields for more than the average 30 days per year ... there would be up to 10,000 skiers in the area looking for some alternative winter sports activity on each of those days", he said. "It would be a real pity if a local investor or investors failed to seize this opportunity because if they don't someone else will when these figures are made public next Saturday and all the profits will be taken aut of the area instead of being invested in the community". The meeting starts at 4.30pm Saturday 3 September at the Ohakune Club in Goldfinch Street. To cater for light refreshments please contact either Denni s Beytagh (3858736) or RSBA (3858799) before this Thursday if you are planning to attend.