Enthusiastic start to Roxburgh community facility rebuild

The Roxburgh Entertainment Centre Project steering group held its first start up meeting at the Roxburgh Service Centre on Monday evening (25 August 2025).

Alastair Monteath, the steering group’s newly appointed spokesperson for external stakeholders, said he was excited about the project and happy to be part of the group.

The group discussed:

Fire investigation report
While there may still be some public speculation about the cause of the fire that destroyed the old Roxburgh Entertainment Centre (February 2025), the investigation by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) concluded that the cause of the fire was undetermined.

The FENZ report confirms that the origin and cause of the fire could not be reliably identified. The focus now was to deliver a new facility to replace what was gone, Mr Monteath said.

Insurance update
The Central Otago District Council has received confirmation of the approved indemnity value to be received from insurers, which will allow the project to proceed. Negotiations are ongoing regarding the final insurance settlement, and updates would be provided as progress continues.

The group reviewed and signed its terms of reference and discussed the project brief, and next steps in the design process for the new facility.

“All the steering group members are enthusiastic and strongly committed to the project and very excited about delivering an amazing fit for purpose new facility that will meet the needs of the Teviot Valley community now and into the future,” Mr Monteath said.

The steering group will reconvene in the coming months to monitor progress. In the meantime, external stakeholder members and the Teviot Valley Community Board representative will begin engaging with the community to gather feedback on expectations for the new facility.

Council staff will also commence preparation of the procurement plan for the building’s design phase.