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Touchline • Issue 15 • 31
story that starts with a fire in an ice skating rink
sounds like the start of a bad joke. However in
March of 2013 this was the reality for the Co-
operative that manages the community facility
known as Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink in Sydney. Just one week
after having major renovations work completed installing a new
roof, disaster struck when an electrical fire started in a store
room.
A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said the fire was not
suspicious. “The crew contained that in about half an hour, so
they did a great job,” he said. “And the ice rink staff evacuated
everybody immediately, so nobody was hurt.”
However, for the management of the ice rink, known for having
‘the best ice in Australia’, the process of reopening has just
begun.
Cleaning the ice is one of the major issues to overcome.
Sportscover claims manager Craig Wilson explained that “the
soot from the fire becomes embedded in the ice and it becomes
a major task to remove it”. Craig continued, “you have several
different options, unfortunately shaving off the top layers of ice
or melting some of the ice and replacing it with clean water
were not options.”
Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink management knew any repairs had
to meet their high standards and maintain the Co-operative’s
proud 43 year reputation. As claims manager, Craig worked with
the Co-operative to ensure all repairs were agreed upon and met
their requirements.
The Rink Manager, Wayne Disbery, said he welcomed the
insurer’s assistance. “The soot from the fire got everywhere and
trying to remove it all has been a major job. The fire came as a
major shock to us all but thank goodness we are starting to get
back on our feet”.
“The relationship between my broker (BJS), the underwriter
(Sportscover) and myself has been great and we have all worked
together to find solutions”
Craig described many of the hurdles they had to overcome.
Immediately after the fire, Sportscover worked to get builders
and electricians on the site quickly, ensuring electrical services
were restored within days. This allowed the administration side
of the rink to remain functional during repairs and restoration.
Cleaning up the soot was another major issue.The off-ice training
area for athletes including a gymnasium sat on a mezzanine
floor and therefore was covered in soot from the fire. All of the
equipment had to be taken apart and each component cleaned.
Cleaning the roof also proved to be time consuming and tedious,
as did cleaning some 400 pairs of rental ice skates.
The rink required a large amount of repairs but the rink is now
well on the road to recovery. As the reopening date edges closer,
Craig admitted that it required a lot of work to get it to this
stage. “It can get difficult organising such a large number of
specialist contractors… happily it’s all gone well so far”.
The importance of having insurance is illustrated perfectly by
this story. It goes against logic to think that an ice rink would
have a major outcome from such a small fire. Thankfully, due to
their insurance, the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink management
and patrons could find comfort in the fact that their rink will be
back in business, and they will still be able to claim the title of
“the best ice in Australia”.
SAVING THE
BEST ICE
IN AUSTRALIA
A