The opening date for an estimated $200m equine stud and equestrian training centre at Lake Hood, Canterbury, has been pushed out to late 2027.
Southern Parallel Equine Centre (SPEC) chief executive Catherine Stuart has also announced plans for stage 2, the Southern Parallel Life Skills Academy, to open at the same time.
Stuart said she is working with Ashburton District Council on building consents for SPEC and aims to commence construction in the second quarter of 2026.
“We are aiming to open the event and competition aspects of SPEC in the fourth quarter of 2027 and in readiness for major Ashburton equestrian events commencing 2028.”
The SPEC Board entered into a joint venture agreement earlier this month with Nonsuch House Limited, the New Zealand agent for international manufacturers of modular panel building technologies.
Stuart said that “together, the team will commence planning and construction on stages 1 and 2”.
Stage 1 is the SPEC and stage 2 is the Life Skills Academy, which Stuart said will be built “across the road on the village green” of Huntingdon Drive.
The academy will cater to physically disabled veterans, services personnel, para- athletes and individuals.
The consenting for the academy is in process and the plan is for it to “be built in conjunction with the equine centre, with the aim to be ready for first intake of participants for commencement of 2028”.
The academy will include both an indoor and outdoor artificial turf, high performance gym, therapy suites, mental health and wellness clinic and the website also suggests there will be a “gated residential estate” including a private health spa.
The equine centre will feature an indoor horse sale centre, veterinary clinic, stables with 650 stalls and training arenas as well as fields for show jumping, dressage, eventing, polo training, and grazing pastures.
The resource consent came with 30 conditions, including that the conditions can be reviewed annually by the council.
Stuart and the directors, supported by Nonsuch House Ltd directors, USA-based partners Westbury Group, BDO Christchurch, architects Chilton + Mayne, and lead construction partner Calder Stewart Construction, provided a “detailed and confidential project briefing” to the council last week.
Council’s compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde confirmed there was a confidential update about the project on August 20.
“No building consents have been lodged with council for the project and, as with any development in the district, pre-application discussions are also confidential.”
When the resource consent was granted in May 2024 to develop the 65ha of land next to Lake Hood, SPEC had initially indicated construction would start by the end of 2024 and be completed by the end of 2025.
The timeline shifted to construction starting by mid-2026 due to a redesign of the SPEC site and working on the joint-venture agreement Stuart said.
The planning process “resulted in our team redesigning the site, ensuring there is no change to the consented infrastructure planned for the site.”
“A few tweaks and changes.
“The redesign utilises the landscaped gully as a demarcation and separation of the SPEC stud operation and service centre.
“The focus remains to provide the very best international standard training, sales, and competition facilities, arenas, and polo fields.
“Consideration to Lake Hood residents was at the forefront of the redesign.”
The redesign simply moved the buildings from the centre of the site to the south-west corner.
Another aspect of the project is gaining Overseas Investment Office approval.
“We continue to work with our advisors and the OIO.
“The recent joint-venture is with a New Zealand registered company.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
