Who is Behind West Coast SnowPark?
Westcoast SnowPark was established in 2005 by two skiing enthusiasts with strong business backgrounds.
Professor Nick Forster is based at the Graduate School of Management, the University of Western Australia. He has been involved in postgraduate management education since 1991 in the UK, Australia and Singapore.
He has published four books, written more than 70 articles in a variety of international academic and professional journals and has produced consulting reports for organisations in Australia and the UK.
In his younger days Nick worked as a part-time ski instructor and retains his passion for skiing, making regular visits to Thredbo, Falls Creek and US and European ski resorts.
Steve Pretzel has a background in media and marketing, and is the founder of successful online services company, Pretzel Logic.
Steve's leadership and the success of Pretzel Logic has been recognised with Finalist status in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Western Region) Awards 2001, and in March 2002, Steve was named Achiever of the Year at the Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association Awards.
He holds a Graduate Certificate in Small Business Growth Management and when not behind a computer enjoys skiing, motor racing and motorcycle trail riding.
The Project Partners
The unique opportunity to create a major new recreational facility for Western Australia has enabled West Coast Snowpark Pty Ltd to attract a superb multi-disciplinary team of professional services organisations who are each committed to the project’s success.
Sinclair Knight Merz is a Leading international project delivery consultancy with significant experience as EPCM Project Manager on many major projects within Western Australia. One of the most recent projects of similar size and complexity is the EPCM delivery of the recently opened $63M Midland Brick Kiln 11 brick production plant for Boral Resources. As EPCM Project Manager for this project, SKM managed the overall project on behalf of the client as well as undertaking full engineering design, cost management, managing architect and specialist sub consultants, competitive tendering the construction works, construction and contract management, and supervising specialist equipment installations and commissioning.
In addition, SKM has had extensive involvement in the development of Snowplanet in Auckland and two indoor snow centres in the UK (Blackpool and Sheffield). A refrigeration specialist from SKM’s Melbourne office prepared the design brief and performance specification for the refrigeration system on the Snowplanet Auckland project.
Local architects David and Sue Bylund of bylund+bylund have been the creative drivers of the architectural concepts for the Snowpark. Their passion for snow sports and experience in designing retail and commercial spaces that are both practical and visually stimulating comes together in a design that meets the dual targets of aesthetics and construction practicality.
The Snowpark project team has been boosted with the engagement of Hames Sharley as architectural and town planning advisors. Hames Sharley is an internationally acclaimed multi-discipline consulting practice with a focus on architecture and interior design, planning, applied research and landscape architecture disciplines.
The firm has been responsible for the design of many of Western Australia's most spectacular public buildings, including Carousel Shopping Centre, the Swan Belltower and the Mandurah Cultural Centre.
Attracted to the Snowpark project because of its uniqueness and challenges, Hames Sharley will add critical planning and design expertise and experience to the project.
Finding innovative ways of keeping both the construction and operating costs of West Coast Snowpark as low as possible are critical to the project's commercial success. To this end SKM have engaged international property and construction consultants Rider Hunt to provide construction process and cost advice.
Rider Hunt specialises in feasibility analysis, estimating and cost planning, providing professional service and advice on methods of controlling and monitoring the cost of construction projects in order to deliver the most cost effective solution.
Major commissions include the development of the Melbourne Tennis Centre, Theme Parks on the Queensland Gold Coast, golf courses, waterside developments, cinemas, Horse Racing facilities and the Telstra Dome Stadium.
Significantly, Rider Hunt also has recent experience in the construction of large scale refrigerated buildings such as the Snap Fresh Food facility in Queensland.
Pullinger Readhead Lucas is a Western Australian based legal practice with principal emphasis on the corporate mining and property related areas. The firm also acts for clients in the industrial and technology sectors.
