Steven Bradbury joins campaign to save Macquarie Ice Rink
Winter Olympic legend Steven Bradbury has hit out at new developments “gobbling up” sporting and recreational facilities across Sydney.
Australia’s most famous Winter Olympian has lashed out at the destruction of sporting and recreational facilities across Sydney as a $195 million shopping-centre redevelopment threatens his beloved Macquarie Ice Rink.
Steven Bradbury, widely known as the “Last Man Standing” after winning speed-skating gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, has joined the Northern District Times’ campaign to save the ice rink which launched his celebrated career.
The 45-year-old, who represented Australia at four Winter Olympic Games, first competed at the iconic rink in a national titles aged 10, before returning to North Ryde in 1991 to win relay gold at the world skating championships.
“The relay win was one of the biggest highlights of my skating career,” Bradbury told the Times.
“I have so many great memories there and I just can’t believe it’s going to be knocked down.”
He lamented the loss of social assets amid the rise of high-density development.
“Sadly, it’s not just ice rinks we’re losing around Australia. It’s tennis and squash courts, bowling alleys and bowls clubs. The list goes on and on.
“Any sport or recreational facility that is too close to an area which has expensive real estate is just being gobbled up by developers. It’s happening in just about every capital city. And it’s a disgrace.”
His comments come after the Times lifted the lid on AMP Capital’s secret plans to bulldoze Australia’s premier ice rink, which is home to Winter Olympians, ice hockey teams, tens of thousands of recreational users, as well as school and disability groups.
It also follows the 2017 loss of treasured Ermington Putt Putt, which was turned into a block of apartments.
“The closure of Macquarie Ice Rink affects so many sports and people in the broader community,” a fired-up Bradbury said.
“We need to keep it open.
“Where does this (development) end? We have a massive childhood obesity problem going on and kids spend too much time on their phones and computer screens.
“Governments say they want to rectify it, yet we are taking away well-used sporting and recreational facilities in cities.
“It’s a complete contradiction by governments and they need to be called out about it.”
Bradbury said the ice rink provided a “point of difference” at the Macquarie Centre.
“Maybe (AMP Capital) can make a bit more money by putting more shops in there, but they need to realise how important the rink is to the community and a lot of athletes and sports,” Bradbury said.
“How can AMP measure what they are going to lose out of all these things? They need a serious rethink of this plan to close the ice rink.”
Collectively, there are now more than 50,000 signatures on petitions to save Macquarie Ice Rink as the community fights AMP Capital’s plans, which have gone back out for public consultation.
Ryde Council will hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow night to take a stand on the issue and look at taking steps to place an interim heritage order on the ice rink.
NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts’ office has been contacted for a response to the recent claims of overdevelopment across Sydney.
EARLY MAC MEMORIES
Steven Bradbury’s first big stroke of good fortune came during the 1991 world skating championships at the Macquarie Ice Rink.
He combined with Kieran Hansen, Andrew Murtha, Richard Nizielski and John Kah to break through for the win in the 5000m relay against Great Britain, Italy and New Zealand.
“I was only 17 at that point and was fortunate enough to be the No. 4-ranked skater in Australia so I get paired with the other guys who were a bit better than me at the time and got a world title out of it,” Bradbury reflected.
He said another fond memory of the Mac Ice Rink was watching speed skater Danny Kah, who competed in three Winter Olympics for Australia (starting at the 1988 Calgary Games), grind down his opponents.
“I was only about 11 when he was winning national titles at Macquarie,” Bradbury said.
“I remember watching him tooling everybody at the Macquarie, where there were skaters faster than him but had this ridiculously good engine and he trained so hard that he just kept on going.
“Watching him there inspired me to work hard and achieve my goals.”
PEOPLE POWER
The Aussie speed-skating legend has urged people to “turn up in droves” to the Macquarie Ice Rink to send a strong message to AMP Capital.
Bradbury said while petitions were good, the “most effective” way of the ice rink’s owner, Dr Frank Gregg, being heard was “even more people coming to the rink”.
“If people show up in droves and everyone is making more money, then it stacks up as a business model to keep the ice rink open,” he told the Times.
‘DOING A BRADBURY’
Steven Bradbury is “all good” with being known as the luckiest bloke on the planet to win an Olympic Games gold medal.
The manner in which he landed victory in the 1000m short-track event at the 2002 Winter Games ensured it grabbed worldwide attention after his four fellow competitors in the final took a tumble, allowing Bradbury to coolly skate from last to first just metres from the finish line.
It came after he also looked gone for all money in his semi-final when he was at the back of the pack. However, after three other skaters fell, he finished second and booked a berth in the final.
It’s all now the stuff of legend — and now “Doing a Bradbury” is part of the Aussie vernacular.
It’s even said the Labor leader Bill Shorten could ‘do a Bradbury’ at this year’s federal election as the Liberal Party and Nationals continue to proverbially hit the deck.
Bradbury laughs when he talks about his Olympic legacy.
“Mate, I’m all good with it,” he said.
“There’s this common reputation of me winning by default. But (Salt Lake City) was my fourth Olympics and I trained five hours a day, six days a week for 14 years to become an overnight success.”
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