Central Otago District Council has voted to investigate moving the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre, despite early community feedback favouring a rebuild on its long standing Scotland Street location.

At the final council meeting of the year on Wednesday (December 17), councillors approved a recommendation for the project steering group to investigate both the existing site and one or two alternative locations. 

A report will be presented to the Teviot Valley Community Board and council in March, when a final decision on the site is expected. 

The decision follows a heated public meeting in Roxburgh last week, where a strong majority of residents showed a preference for the status quo. 

However, the results of a community poll, tabled at Wednesday’s meeting, suggested a growing number of residents - close to half - were now open to considering additional sites. 

Council staff said voting took place at the public meeting and continued online and in person in the days that followed. 

Mayor Tamah Alley said she had received "substantial" feedback directly from the community, estimating approximately two-thirds of which supported retaining the Scotland Street location. 

"We have a site that is ready to go. It is ready to go now and start building, and it is a site that has been suitable for that community and loved and cherished by that community for 100 years," Tamah said. 

Despite that, she supported the motion, saying it allowed council to explore other options without ruling out a rebuild on the original footprint. 

"I look at the recommendations, and they allow that to happen. They allow the investigation of other sites but also enable us to rebuild on the same site," she said. 

The investigation will include geotechnical assessments, demolition reports, and property valuations for potential alternative sites.  

The former Roxburgh Entertainment Centre, destroyed by fire at the start of 2025. Image: File

A report from property officer Tara Bates estimated the work would cost between $20,000 and $40,000, funded from the project’s $4M insurance payout. 

Teviot Valley councillor Curtis Pannett acknowledged tensions in the community ahead of last week’s meeting. 

“The rumour mill was in full overdrive,” Curtis said.

"People truly did believe that the decision we were making...was to shift it.”

Addressing Teviot Valley residents watching the council meeting online, Curtis said the investigation was about long term planning rather than forcing a move on the community.

"What is the best building we can build for this community for the next 50 to 100 years, and then from there, is the current site the best spot for that? That's how it should be looked at," Curtis said. 

He stressed there was no predetermined outcome. 

"We don't have a favourite site, and I acknowledge the history that's tied to the current site," Curtis said. 

Vincent councillor Martin McPherson described the investigation as necessary due diligence and an opportunity to "look further afield" to futureproof the town centre. 

He said the public meeting had provided an opportunity for council to apologise for previous communication gaps and recognise the strong emotional attachment residents have to the hall at its original spot.

"The overwhelming feeling coming from the public meeting was to retain it," Martin said. 

While staff indicated the investigation would delay the project by at least five months, Martin said the certainty gained would outweigh the wait.

He said the investigation budget would not be “money badly spent”.

To illustrate the balance between public sentiment and long term planning, Martin referenced the Eiffel Tower. 

"At the time it was quite controversial and ratepayers in Paris were screaming bloody murder,” he said.

“Now it is the most loved and most visited icon in the whole of Europe.”

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