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GOINGS ON’ Around the Manganui Ski Area
Safety Services Coordinator/Ski Area Managers
End of Year Report
This past month (September) has been a little slower on the mountain, but we have had some great weekend days on the Top Tow.
Field Audit
Over this winter one of my jobs was to develop a snow safety program and bring the clubs paper work up to scratch for our second audit.
On Wednesday the 25th of this month Peak Risk came to the field to re audit our operation.
They were impressed with how far we had come from 2006 and were happy with the direction.
Randonee Race
Unfortunately this was cancelled due to lack of support.
Lodge
There several options we can look at for the lodge if we want to make it more secure.
Bookings have started to pick up with school holidays have several nights fully booked and bookings in November and New Years Eve is booked out.
The lodge has been keep pretty clean thanks to everyone doing their bit. We have the cleaning lady coming through soon when her family stay at the lodge and she has been give a list of things to do like inside of cupboards, light switches, door handles, etc.
Canteen
As most will be aware I have been trying to get rid of stock by selling this cheaper on the Top Two days. This has had a good response which may require a working bee to build a small canteen locker in the shed for next year, even a small cooker would be nice save the trips back down to get the pies. Once the financial year finishes some stock will end up in the bar like the drinks and chips. While I have returned some stock to toops. The feedback on the canteen this year has been good with some improvement suggestions been given which may take place over summer - another working bee.
Top Tow Days
We have had good numbers during the weekends and a real mix of season pass holders and paying public. Saturdays are the busy days where Sundays have been.
Snow safety
the new avalanche atlas is progressed, as is the new operations manual. These have both been requirements from the last audit. The avalanche advisory has now ended, so please remember there is alot of snow high on the mountain still and large spring time avalanches are still possible.
Webcam
A few problems here lately; it is not the internet connection it seems to be the camera (Snow.co are sending a replacement for summer install). You may have also noted that the picture has been zoomed in on the Top Tow a little more for this time of year.
Clean Up
I have started to have a clean up around the field with a truck load of rubbish ready to go. A crew of terrain park folks is needed to collect their wooden features off the slopes. Otherwise the place is looking not too bad.
Working Bee List
Below is a list of some things i thought we could attack before next winter (subject to committee approval):
• Canteen refit – Redesign for ease of use. Stand up freezer. See Rob or Todd for plan
• Tee Bar lift line – flatten and level out track and place half rounds down. Track needs to be at least 3m wide.
• Towers painted or removed for galvanizing.
• Heli pad next to lodge – This should be part funded by DOC and SAR plus the club. This may be a good time to build a bigger groomer shed underneath the Heli pad. Should be no issue in getting DOC approval as I have spoken to them about it.
• Water tank – This project is to be run in conjunction with DOC, as we will have one water tank for both buildings. Half and half costs.
• Meadows fence – Remove fence and build new one lower down with a comeback trail to the access tow.
• Phones – Get telecom to have a look at the radio unit as the line guys have told us this is why our phone has poor quality. Radio guy has not been to the ski field but has replaced something at the exchange. Radio unit is getting on in years.
• Terrain Park – small lift for rail park location to be decided.
• Terrain Park – rails to have gaps filled by wood - safety issue.
• Move lockers around in basement and add more. Floor plan needs to be developed.
• Build or buy ski and snowboard racks for basement. Ski industries have freestanding stands.
• Heat pump install
• Boot rack for drying room to make for more space.
• Touch up paint job in lodge where dings and marks are on walls.
• Look at recladding and roofing Warrick Brown building. There are small leaks in the roof over office.
(look for some of these to be actioned in working bees this coming working bee period)
My Job
It has been a good year for the club to employ a fulltime person as we have had 22 days of operation on the T-Bar with good money coming in. I have enjoyed my time but it has been hard work. There are several problems which the ski field will always have, the main one is staff. Trying to make sure we have staff for the open days when we cannot guarantee fulltime work is tough and they do need to be able to work at a moment’s notice, no snow today and snow tomorrow. We have been lucky with some club members having flexible day jobs and picking up a couple of young guys who just lost their other jobs.
I suffered some criticism on not standing around waiting for the weather to clear on the marginal days. This is a problem every ski field has in New Zealand and I have been at the bonus end of Managers decisions before. We are a small field and I made the judgement that it was not financially viable for the club to be paying staff and running cost for maybe half a dozen people if the weather was to clear late in the day and we could open. Of course weekend days are another story as we receive more skier numbers and I could send staff home and rely on club members to help out which happened several times.
This year myself or Brooke were picking up the staff members on the way to work which worked really well. It meant that we were all there at the same time to get stuck in to the work and were not waiting around for people to turn up. This maybe an issue in the future depending on what happens with staff next year.
I am unavailable for this role next year as I have a fulltime job to go to. I will however like to stay in the safely services role and assist the Level 2 person the club employ for next winter.
All in all it’s been a good winter and apart from a few negative people I have enjoyed working for the club. If it was possible for me to return I would but having a young family requires a steady income stream. I am still going to be involved and I am motivated to help move the club forward with all its projects. Looking forward to the 09 winter already.
Cheers
Todd Cations-Velvin
SMC Committee Nominations for upcoming AGM
Positions up for election at this years AGM are:
- President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Accommodation Convenor (Lodge)
- Lower Lifts
- Machinery
- Racing and Training
- Newsletter/Marketing/IT
- Safety Services
- Events/Social
AGM is due in November. We will issue a notice of meeting and financial statement to all members, by way of a mail out newsletter. | 
5 Day Snow Forecast
