Concerns have been raised that volunteers providing community facilities - such as those developing the IceinLine Central rink at Molyneux Park in Alexandra - are struggling to manage requirements for applying for public funds. 

Vincent Community Board (VCB) member Lynley Claridge said at the board’s monthly meeting (Monday June 13) it amazed her how volunteers have to “jump through

hoops” to be able to provide innovative assets for the community.

The leased rink sits on council land, and for 20 years the rink organisers have believed it would benefit greatly from having a roof.

An application for a funding grant of $400,000 toward that project was considered at the VCB meeting.

The funds could come from reserves or a loan, the latter likely adding around $67 per household to ratepayers’ bills.

Lynley told the board she would have liked the board to fund the work from reserves and not make the group wait for public consultation, but she understood the

requirement to consult.

Board chair Martin McPherson said if the money was raised as a loan it would have a “significant impact” on rates and people needed to be aware of that. 

Other funding sources and IceinLine’s own contribution of $90,000 were expected to make up the balance for the $1.6M project. Having the board’s clear backing would

strengthen the case for successful applications to other funders including the Central Lakes Trust, the meeting heard.

Speaking for IceinLine during a public session, Hugh McIntyre said there had been many delays and confusion over the status and progress of council support for the

project. 

This had caused unnecessary time pressures relating to funding deadlines and further delays now needed to be avoided.

He said he was not sure how other funders would interpret the VCB’s intentions if a commitment to support the group financially was not made clear. 

Hugh said he had no doubt the community supported the project.

Central Otago District Council (CODC) has supported the group in the past including through an energy share project commissioned in 2018 where winter transfer of

heat would be directed from the rink to the nearby public pool. 

Predicted energy savings had been anticipated to be used to pay off a loan, projected over 20 years, according to a council report. 

“However, the savings originally predicted have not been achieved to date. Work continues on improving the operation and understanding of the energy share system

and quantifying the energy savings being generated at the Alexandra pool,” the report said.

The results would be shared with the VCB following this winter’s rink operations.

The Alexandra rink was the first Olympic sized rink (at 61m by 30m) in the South Island and remains one of only three in New Zealand, the others being indoor rinks in

Auckland and Dunedin.

Benefits of having a roof, the operators say, include extending the period when ice is available for local figure skaters training for events; for skating competitions;

providing more certainty for school programmes; and encouragement of participation from schools located further away.

It would also encourage visitors to come and use the indoor curling facility while family members were entertained at the ice rink. These additional activities would bring

more people to the facility, providing added revenue to Iceinline and the Alexandra community.

The VCB agreed in principle to fund the request, subject to consultation through the CODC’s 2023/2024 Annual Plan process.

Lynley again raised the issue of volunteers having to “jump through hoops” to gain funding during discussions on an Alexandra District Museum Inc. grant application. 

The application for ongoing operational work was successful and chair Malcolm Macpherson told the board a range of exhibitions and events were upcoming and they

hoped to employ a professional museum director.