City of Marion lease land for $20m ice-skating rink

An inner-southern council has backed a $20m ice-skating and rock-climbing facility in the heart of its city, saying it is a “once-in-a-generation” project.

Plans to build a $20m ice-skating rink in Adelaide’s south are no longer a pipe dream after Marion council endorsed the project’s go-ahead.

At a recent Marion Council meeting, deputy mayor Luke Hutchinson moved a motion that will see Melbourne property developers the Pelligra Group move the ice-skating proposal forward.

Private developers have put forward a proposal to build a $20m ice arena and rock-climbing facility along Sturt Road, Marion. Picture: City of Marion

“This is a once-in-a-generation project, we do have the opportunity to get this right and the next phase to get this right is the detailed design phase,” Mr Hutchinson said.

The initial announcement for the $20m ice arena and rock-climbing facility happened in May, after council had spent years toying with the idea.

The new arena is set to have international-competition rock-climbing walls, recreational rock climbing and bouldering, themed rock-climbing walls for children, a kiosk, and a children’s play cafe.

After the announcement was made, around 30 Marion residents put pen to paper in the hopes of stopping the proposed ice-skating rink, citing parking and traffic as one of the key issues.

“Absolute waste of money,” Julie Thomson wrote. “Traffic is already an issue on Sturt Road, is the road going to be widened?”

In a new report submitted to the council, a two-storey 270-park carpark will replace the 39 carparks already on the site.

The updated plans for the Marion Arena. Pic: City Collective

Marion Croquet Club will terminate their occupancy agreement of the site which is currently operating on a month-to-month basis with no written agreement in place.

Councillor Raelene Telfer reiterated the community’s voice must be heard once the formal engagement begins.

“I take very seriously the community responses and the community thoughts and I have talked to a lot of the residents about their concerns,” Ms Telfer said.

“I believe that we need to take one more step on this given the developer has come to us and we have been aware in the past if we don’t like something they walk away and build it elsewhere.

“It is time that metropolitan Adelaide had a new skating rink and if that money goes, it seems a waste to me because there are people who will value this facility.”