After months of debate a new management plan for Cromwell’s racecourse has been fully signed off by council decision makers, but for now no money has been assigned to make any of the proposals for the 91-hectare public space a reality.

The adoption of the plan at a full meeting of Central Otago District Council (CODC) last week was largely procedural, with the mayor and councillors rubber-stamping a process driven by the Cromwell Community Board.

Council parks officer Maria Burnett described the racecourse as “one of the district’s most significant urban spaces” and said the process to develop the plan had been “a thorough one”, including three public drop-in sessions and close to 300 submissions received.

Maria said the final plan “respects existing users while also enabling future development”.

The plan allows for up to four new sports fields and supporting facilities such as toilets, changing rooms and storage by 2030, with scope to expand to eight fields and add an indoor multisport complex over the longer term.

‘Concept’ layout maps show potential future layouts, but Maria stressed they are no promise of what is to come.

“The plan maintains flexibility on timing and does not commit council to development,” she said. 

“Development will occur only if and when funding is allocated through future long-term plans.”

What the plan does do is provide the council with “a strong community-endorsed framework to guide how the reserve evolves”, she said.

Mayor Tamah Alley praised the robust process and collaboration with equestrian users.

“I think Cromwell has become a real hub for equine activities. People are travelling quite a long distance to use those facilities,” she said.

The plan stresses that equestrian activities remain a cornerstone use of the reserve, and any redesign of the cross-country course to accommodate sports fields will be done with input from horse riders.

During consultation, ideas for Alpha Street and Anderson Park sports fields were also raised.

Maria said, however, while it was important not to look at the racecourse in isolation, in the end, the review had to “pull it back” to focus on the reserve itself.

Cromwell councillor Neil Gillespie said the management plan was about making sure there was no “barrier in the road”, enabling future development rather than dictating it.

The plan follows months of debate, including hearings from 25 of 291 submitters, many of them horseriders who voiced safety concerns about sharing the grounds with team-sport activities.

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