Selwyn-based developer City Estates has bought 160ha of farmland from the Morrish household, who’ve farmed the land since 1935.
City Estates administrators Brad Wilson and Justin McDonald mentioned the plan over the subsequent 10-20 years is to have about 2500 homes on the land north of Rolleston, close to the intersection of Weedons and Selwyn Rds.
“Rolleston retains rising at an excessive fee, so it’s a matter of figuring out the place a smart place is for it to develop,” Wilson mentioned.
“There are only a few pure waterways by means of there – it’s nice floor for constructing homes on.”
Landowner Chris Morrish declined to touch upon the sale, however confirmed the land will nonetheless be farmed for a number of extra years.
Wilson mentioned the deal to purchase the land had been within the works for greater than 12 months, however wouldn’t disclose the acquisition value.
He mentioned the mission continues to be in its early phases, with no particular timeline in place.
Whereas there may be at the moment no different growth across the proposed website, Rolleston’s medium-density zone comes as much as Weedons Rd.
“We’re beginning to work with consultants and get all our info collated for a personal plan change,” Wilson mentioned.
“We’ve mainly not set a time for it. This can be a long-term future mission for us.”
Wilson mentioned a personal plan change to rezone the land from rural is more likely to be pursued, as had been finished with most different subdivisions within the district.
He additionally confirmed there are not any plans to make use of the Authorities’s fast-track course of which is at the moment being launched into legislation.
City Estates has been growing land for about 10 years, primarily in and round Rolleston, and is at the moment engaged on The Hamptons in Prebbleton.
Individually, Wilson, who lives in Ladbrooks, and McDonald, who lives in Prebbleton, have been growing property for about 25 years.
This mission shall be their largest single land growth.
Wilson mentioned the dimensions of the deliberate growth will permit a group to be created.
“When you’ve got one thing of this scale, you’ll be able to really create a group that’s useful to the council and the folks residing there. You possibly can create areas for schooling, life-style, and facilities.
“Rolleston has reached that degree now, the place lots of people aren’t commuting to city for work, so it’s creating that live-work-play life-style,” he mentioned.
McDonald added that alongside residential growth, there could also be alternatives for business and retail zoning.
“That’s a part of the scoping research we’re doing in the mean time,” he mentioned.
“All of our scoping is making an attempt to facilitate what Rolleston wants, but in addition remembering that what it wants now shall be completely different in one other decade.”
Rolleston’s inhabitants is on track to succeed in about 40,000 by 2034.
