Plastic skating rink gets nod from planners

After 10 months in the pipeline, New Zealand's first plastic ice-skating rink has the approval of Lakes Environmental planners and construction is likely to start in Albert Town early next week.

All that remains for Queenstown Lakes independent commissioners to do is sign off the agreed conditions, which is scheduled to happen by the end of this week.

The developer, Super Glide New Zealand Ltd, had hoped the $120,000 rink, which does not require ice to operate, would open in December, in time for the summer holidays.

However, the project was delayed because town planners required an acoustics report and neighbours' approval.

Developer Russell Ibbotson said of Alexandra said last week that most of the neighbours' approvals were readily obtained, but the signature of one person, who works in an isolated part of Australia, was not received until recently.

The neighbour had no objections but had been hard to track down.

The developers believed the town planners' noise concerns, particularly in relation to children's voices, were perceived rather than actual problems, but a solid glass wall and other measures were now in place to address noise.

Mr Ibbotson is excited construction is imminent.

"We are not giving up. We have worked it through.

"It has taken a very long time and it has been very frustrating but it has got to the point where agreement has been reached and it is going to happen."

Lakes Environmental planning manager Brian Fitzpatrick said this week he expected the commissioners would sign off the conditions this week.

Planners were satisfied the proposed glass wall would mitigate noise and the final pieces of information they required had been received last week, he said.

The polymer skating rink, which has a plastic, rather than ice, surface, is being imported from the United States by Dunedin figure skater and engineer Keith Dickson, a partner in Super Glide NZ, who has set up a prototype, portable 4.5m by 10m rink in his Mornington back yard.

The Albert Town rink will be about 30m by 15m and located next to the Albert Town Tavern.

Several centres already have artificial ice skating rinks, including Dunedin, Alexandra, Naseby and Tekapo, but a plastic surface is a first for New Zealand.