The Ice Arena has abruptly shut, but there are hopes for a revival

The state’s only ice skating rink – The Ice Arena – has shut its doors, with the company running it facing financial problems. But there are hopes it will reopen soon.

The Ice Arena at Thebarton. Picture Emma Brasier.

Ice Arena at Thebarton has shut its doors with users of the only ice rink in South Australia left without a place to skate for the time being.

The Advertiser understands the installation of a new manager of the venue is being organised, with the closure of the rink leaving ice sports participants with nowhere to practice and play.

Ice Hockey South Australia has told its members that all training and scheduled on-site activities at Ice Arena have been cancelled.

Ice Hockey South Australia secretary Sharyn Peterson said the sudden closure had come as a shock to the association’s 800 members.

“We are a niche sport and this is the only place we can play,” she said.

“It is upsetting as it is not like football or cricket where you can find another oval.

“It is a temporary closure, not a permanent one, so we are taking it a day at a time - training has been cancelled for Thursday and Friday, and so have games for Saturday but we are not sure yet about Sunday.”

The association uses the arena for games and training, high performance sessions and specialist goalie work for its mens, womens, junior and parahockey teams.

The opposition has called on the government to intervene and provide certainty for centre’s future.

Pictures posted to social media shows the ice appears to have partially melted.

The former operator of Ice Arena, Agile Group, has been facing financial difficulties with moves to wind up parts of the group of companies, and the Fair Work Ombudsman also alleging the group has underpaid workers.

A former senior manager at Agile, Justin Brinkies, and Agile Group (Global), are due to face court this month for failing to repay workers who were allegedly underpaid almost $100,000.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has alleged Agile Group failed to comply with compliance notices it was issued, which required the company to calculate and back-pay workers’ entitlements after an investigation by a Fair Work inspector.

“A Fair Work inspector issued a compliance notice to Agile Group (Global) in each of April 2022 and February 2023, after forming a belief that a total of 19 workers, some of whom were visa holders, had not been paid all they were owed,’’ the regulator said in a statement recently.

“The inspector formed a belief this led to $98,302 in underpayments for various periods of work from September 2021 to July 2022, owed under the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards, the Security Services Industry Award 2020 and Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020.’’