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Macquarie Ice Rink

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Macquarie Ice Rink
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LocationMacquarie Shopping Centre, Herring Rd &, Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Coordinates33°46′37″S 151°07′10″E / 33.776950°S 151.119542°E / -33.776950; 151.119542
Capacity2000 (seating)
Surface60 m × 30 m (197 ft × 98 ft)
Opened1981 (43 years ago) (1981)
Tenants
Sydney Bears (2017–present)
Sydney Ice Dogs (2017–present)
Macquarie Bears (1982–2001)
Website
www.macquarieicerink.com.au

The Macquarie Ice Rink is an ice sports and public skate centre, opened in 1981 and located within the Macquarie Shopping Centre in the northern Sydney suburb of Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is the current home of the Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs AIHL ice hockey teams.

History

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The Macquarie Ice Rink was opened in 1981 as a recreational and sporting ice venue in northern Sydney.[1]

In 1982, The Macquarie Bears ice hockey club was founded and played hockey matches from elite to development grade at Macquarie Ice Rink until 2002 when the club moved to Blacktown Ice Rink and the AIHL team moved to the Sydney Ice Arena.[2]

Macquarie Ice Rink completed a one-year construction of a multi-million dollar upgrade to the venue on 23 March 2017.[3] A new 15 square metre LCD screen was added, a new ice surface formed on top of new flooring, two new Zamboni's purchased, a new enclosed café built, a purpose built gym and other general amenity upgrades.[4][5]

In April 2017, the upgrades to the rink brought Macquarie back up to standards for the AIHL, the national level hockey in Australia. The Sydney Bears, originally from Macquarie, announced they would return ‘home’ and play home matches at Macquarie Ice Rink from 2017 onwards. In additional the venue gained another major ongoing tenant with Liverpool's Sydney Ice Dogs also announcing they would move to Macquarie to share the new facilities with their derby rivals.[6]

Macquarie Ice Rink ownership released a media statement on 16 January 2019 revealing that AMP Capital, the owners of the Macquarie shopping Centre, plans to demolish the Macquarie Ice Rink, located on the first floor of the shopping centre.[7] The demolition of the rink would create greater access to the train station and bus interchange to and from the shopping centre.[8] It was revealed AMP lodged the stage 2 $195 million development plans on 18 December 2018, prior to Christmas. AMP's response to the media release stated the desire of the development was to improve accessibility and foster a more vibrant night life in the community. AMP revealed its design could accommodate a recreational sized rink. The community responded by creating petitions to save the Olympic sized rink[9]

The petition to save the rink attracted 20,000 plus signatures; On 18 January 2019, AMP Capital announced a halt to demolition plans to pursue additional community consultation regarding the development.[10][11]

Following over 60,000 petition protestors, AMP Capital confirmed the development plans on 1 February 2019 for the shopping centre would now include an Olympic sized rink going forward. AMP's managing director, Mark Kirkland, said the company had listened to the community feedback and altered their plans after the outpouring of support to retain an Olympic sized facility.[12]

On 2 February 2019, the NSW government, through NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton, granted an interim order of heritage recognition to the Macquarie Ice Rink. The order recognises the rink as a place of significant cultural and recreational value. Any modification of the rink would have to be lodged with the NSW Heritage Council. The member for Ryde and Finance Minister Victor Dominello had sought the order to lock in the ice rink's future.[13]

On 9 February 2020, the NSW Heritage Council confirmed it had removed the interim order and rejected the application by Victor Dominello for NSW heritage listing. The NSW Heritage Council said the rink was unlikely to be of state significance in its reasoning for rejecting the application. A spokesman for the Heritage Council noted the ice rink might be locally significant and should be considered for protection under the City of Ryde's local planning rules. AMP Capital's Mark Kirkland again confirmed any future developments of the centre would include an Olympic sized ice rink.[14]

Facilities

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Facilities at Macquarie Ice Rink are detailed below:[15]

  • 60 m × 30 m ice rink (Olympic sized - the only Olympic sized ice rink in Sydney)
  • 2,000 seating capacity for spectators
  • 15 square metre LCD screen
  • Skate hire
  • Café
  • Gym
  • Public toilets
  • Disabled toilets
  • Lift for wheelchair access
  • Lockers (in limited numbers)
  • Parking (including disabled parking) is available within the centre
  • Medical centre located within the centre

Events

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The rink has offered private and public sessions every day for over 30 years. It provides professional coaches for private and group lessons in figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating, ice dance, and synchronised skating, as well as theatre on ice, disco nights, school sport and vacation care (holiday camps).[16]

1991, Macquarie played host to the 1991 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.[17]

In 2000, Macquarie Ice Rink was the inaugural venue for the final of the newly created Australian Ice Hockey League. Adelaide Avalanche played Macquarie Bears in the final with the South Australians winning the match and the AIHL Championship 6–5 on a shootout.[18]

Since 2017, Macquarie Ice Rink, on an ongoing basis, plays host to Australian Ice Hockey League regular season matches between the months of April to August each year.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Harris, Josh (4 February 2019). "NH Architecture, Hames Sharley designed mall halted in favour of ice rink". www.architectureau.com. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Our History". www.sydneybears.com.au. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. ^ "A new and improved Macquarie Ice Rink - coming soon". www.macquarieicerink.com.au. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Iconic Macquarie Ice Rink Unveils Multi-Million Dollar Facelift". www.macquarieicerink.com.au. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. ^ Booth, Lucy (16 April 2018). "Macquarie Ice Rink Gets its First "Ice-Lift" in 38 Years". www.broadsheet.com.au. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  6. ^ Stavrinos, Anthony (24 January 2017). "Ice Hockey returns to Macquarie Centre". www.weeklytimes.com.au. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  7. ^ "SAVE MACQUARIE ICE RINK". www.macquarieicerink.com.au. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  8. ^ Clun, Rachel (17 January 2019). "Petitions launched as Macquarie Ice Rink faces demolition". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Petitions Launched After Macquarie Ice Rink Demolition Plans Revealed". www.inthecove.com.au. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. ^ Maddox, Garry (18 January 2019). "'David beats Goliath': Macquarie rink redevelopment on thin ice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  11. ^ "There used to be an ice rink ..." The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  12. ^ Maddox, Garry (1 February 2019). "Macquarie Centre to keep Olympic-sized rink as developer caves in". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  13. ^ Maddox, Garry (2 February 2019). "'Locked in': ice rink's future guaranteed with heritage recognition". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  14. ^ Taylor, Andrew (9 February 2020). "'Political grandstanding': Council scrambles to save ice rink after heritage listing rejected". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. ^ "About Macquarie Ice Rink". www.macquarieicerink.com.au. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Macquarie Ice Rink". www.macquariecentre.com.au. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  17. ^ Smart, G. & Bradbury, S., Steven Bradbury: Last Man Standing, ISBN 0-9757287-8-4, 2005.
  18. ^ "Adelaide Avalanche: The Franchise that changed Australian hockey forever". Adelaide Adrenaline. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  19. ^ "#TheHomecoming: The Bears Finally Return Home to Macquarie Ice Rink". Sydney Bears. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
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