Land earmarked for proposed ice rink

Taupo District Councils TKMP committee have agreed to lease a portion of land to the Alpine Sports Trust so they can progress their plans to build an Ice Rink in Taupo. The lease will be for around one hectare of land on Centennial Drive, bordering the ETA.

The land in question will be a small portion of the site opposite Taupo’s Owen Delaney Park which is just under 12 hectares in total. The Committee is recommending that Council agree to lease a portion of this land to the Alpine Sports Trust. This will allow the Trust to pursue plans to investigate the viability of building a purpose built ice rink and curling rink. A proposal for an Ice Rink to be located in Taupo was first flagged in Councils 2009 – 2019 ten year plan which was adopted earlier this year.

Mr Rob Marshall, who spoke on behalf of the Charitable Trust, believes an Ice Rink will prove a popular recreational and entertainment facility for locals and visitors to the district. “This is an exciting project and if we can bring it to fruition it will be a great asset for the Taupo community. It can be used for skating, ice hockey and curling all year round.”

“An Ice Rink fits in with Taupo’s existing winter pursuits such as skiing and snowboarding and people who love the winter snow will be able to transfer their skills to the ice. We would have the only Ice Rink between Auckland and Christchurch so it also makes sense geographically,” said Mr Marshall.

Councillors viewed the draft concept plan which looked at possible land use at the Centennial Drive site. At just under 12 hectares, there is room for at least three full sized sports fields and a large carpark, in addition to the portion being earmarked for the Ice Rink.

Councillor Barry Hickling said the agreement to lease will allow the Trust to move to the next stage of the development. “They really need to know the land is available and there is support in principle to provide the land for the Ice Rink. Now they can go away and prepare a strong business case as the next step.”

Clr Hickling said Gore, Dunedin and Central Otago Councils have all supported, to varying degrees, Ice Rinks in their districts so this is nothing new, “however, Council will still need to consult with the public before the lease is granted and it is likely a number of conditions will need to be included in the lease to mitigate any risks involved.”

The Alpine Sports Trust consists of Scott Bason (General Manager Taupo Bungy), David Brown (Director Iles and Campbell), Rob Marshall (Director Cheal Consultants) and Clayton Stent (Director Clayton Stent Law) and Leanne Hall (skating enthusiast and original promoter of the Alpine Sports Trust).