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One of Silverdale’s biggest attractions, Snowplanet, closed last week for major refurbishment and won’t reopen until next April.
Snowplanet sales and marketing general manager John Howsam says as part of ongoing maintenance, it was found that sections of its large, flat roof were compromised. The work involves replacing the entire 200m x 40m section of roof over the snow dome.
Snowplanet was built in 2005.
“We have repaired leaks over the years, but engineers said the best plan was a complete replacement,” Howsam says. “We have been looking for some months at the best way to do this. Unfortunately, the major work involved will take considerable time and requires complete closure.”
October to April is the facility’s quietest time, so Howsam says it made sense to do it then. Unfortunately, this means Santa photos in his snowy grotto won’t be happening this Christmas.
A temporary roadway has been created alongside the building to give access to the giant crane that will lift and replace the roofing panels.
Once the work is finished, all the snow inside will need to be replaced.
As far as staff are concerned, Howsam says they have tried to do the right thing by everyone, including helping people to find other roles.
“Some will come back to us, some won’t. That’s the risk we take. We fully understand that people need to do what’s best for them.”
He says the work is costing “a not inconsiderable sum”, but that the actual figure is commercially sensitive.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers for their understanding,” he says.
“Snowplanet is here for the long term, so we figured it was important not to delay this work, but just get on with it.”
Info: https://snowplanet.co.nz/snowplanet-major-refurbishment
