Further Investigation for Roxburgh Entertainment Centre Approved

Further Investigation for Roxburgh Entertainment Centre Approved

At its final Council meeting on 17 December 2025, the Central Otago District Council (CODC) voted to proceed with an investigation into both the current site and alternative location options for the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre rebuild, ensuring the final facility serves the Teviot Valley well into the next century.

Past and current members of the Teviot Community Boards want to ensure due diligence is done on the current site as well as any other alternative sites to help ensure the right location for the rebuild is selected. The project scope did not include evaluating whether the current site is the most suitable. Council approval was therefore required to allow the Project Steering Group (PSG) and the Community Board to explore alternative locations.

A report presented to Council on 26 November recommended approving the Teviot Valley Community Board’s (TVCB) recommendation to investigate other potential sites. Council deferred its decision until after a public meeting on 11 December and a community poll. The report was represented for consideration at yesterday’s meeting.

The poll was open from 4–15 December through CODC’s Let’s Talk platform and hard copy forms at the Roxburgh Service Centre. Results were:

Public meeting poll:

• Rebuild on existing site – 84 votes
• Explore alternate sites – 15 votes

Online poll:

• Rebuild on existing site – 177 votes
• Explore alternate sites – 148 votes

Hard copy votes:

• Rebuild on existing site – 21 votes
• Explore alternate sites – 0 votes

The online poll shifted from an initial 95% in favour of rebuilding on the existing site and 5% supporting alternative sites, to a final result of 54% and 46% respectively.

Councillor Curtis Pannett noted that, "The recommendation should go back to the community plan to account for what is the best building for the town. Can the current site deliver that? If not, what are the options? We’re only going to do this once, and if we don’t get it right, we’re going to sell the project short from the outset.”

Councillor Martin McPherson said the recent public meeting held on 11 December was an opportunity to reset the conversation.

“The public meeting was an opportunity for us to apologise that we didn’t approach the community sooner. We all acknowledge the passion and connection to the existing site, but as a Council, we are obliged to look further afield to see what is best for the community in the next 50 or 100 years.”

While acknowledging the strong community sentiment expressed in the last few weeks, Councillors emphasised the obligation to perform due diligence. The goal is to ensure the new facility, regardless of location, is not just a replacement, but a future-proofed asset that serves the Teviot Community for generations.

Mayor Tamah Alley added, “It’s important to recognise that the recent draft Teviot Valley Community Plan should guide this investigation. One thing we’ve learned from other community facilities is that success comes when the community is involved from the start. When this facility is built—and it will be—we want the Teviot Valley to feel ownership of it. It must meet the needs of today while being ready for the opportunities of tomorrow.”

The resolution was amended to explicitly state that the Project Steering Group will investigate current and alternative options. Council also added that the recent draft Teviot Valley Community Plan must feed into this investigation phase to ensure the building’s scope aligns with the community’s broader long-term vision.

A report outlining high-level findings on both current and alternative location options will be presented to the Teviot Valley Community Board and Council in March 2026. David Scoones, GM Community Experience, outlined the process that was also presented to the Teviot community at its public meeting last week. He noted that this high‑level due diligence phase will not affect the current timeline, provided it is completed by March 2026.

Next steps:

• Expressions of Interest (New Year): Council will call for expressions of interest from anyone with suggestions for alternative sites and reasons for their suitability.
• Staff Analysis: Staff will undertake a high-level comparison of benefits, costs, and timeframes for each option (current vs. alternative).
• Community Review: The findings will be shared with the community, followed by another poll to gauge support based on the new data.
• Design Phase: Community engagement on the building’s design and functionality will continue as planned in early 2026.

For updates, please visit CODC Let’s Talk.