BACKGROUND

Following the establishment of the Ashburton Stadium Complex Trust (the Trust) in August of 2005 the Trust was accepted and registered as a Charitable Trust under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957.

Work commenced immediately to research other similar facilities within New Zealand and in Australia whilst parallel consultation of potential user groups within the Ashburton District was also carried out to determine the desired content for the new facilities.

In 2006 the Trust began to investigate potential consultants for concept design, cost estimates, financial feasibility, social impact and economic benefit studies.

These investigations resulted in the Trust making appointments to the Consultancy Team who then produced a detailed concept design and corresponding financial study that was presented to Council in 2007.

From this point continuing work by the Trust and Council refined the original concept, completed the investigation of over 20 potential sites, resulting in a full report to Council from the Trust in December 2008 containing the Trust’s recommendations on content, cost and the siting of the new facilities.