A newly-formed group has made a pre-emptive sales pitch to Ashburton councillors ahead of submitting a tender for a long-serving community hall.

The Ashburton Centennial Sports Hall was gifted to the Ashburton District Council in March by the Ashburton Centennial Sports Hall Society, which had owned and operated the community hub since 1954.

The council decided to place the property on the open market, evaluating tenders from both commercial entities and community groups based on merit.

Community groups and individuals have joined forces to form a committee and make a bid.

Sports Hall 2026 Steering Committee chairperson Lucas Cawte told councillors on Wednesday that the group will submit a tender proposal next week.

“Our purpose is to produce a sustainable operating model for the sports hall that will allow it to be a cherished community asset for groups to use well into the future.

“If the ownership falls into private hands, the community loses control forever, the future access is uncertain, and the building's unlikely to revert back into community ownership.”

If the building is lost to the community, replacing the infrastructure gap would be difficult and cost millions, Cawte said.

“We ask you to consider not only what is this building worth today, but what it could be worth to our community tomorrow.

“We understand our proposal is unlikely to be the highest financial value, but I certainly would like to think it's of very high community value.”

Cawte said the committee believes the value of the hall can’t be measured just by the purchase price.

“It also needs to be measured by the social value it creates.

“We don't consider that we're buying a building as such.

“We're building recreational opportunities, youth development opportunities, a home for community groups and events, social connections, school and community partnerships.

“We're offering to take the responsibility of an asset that I think will create value for this district long into the future, both socially and financially.”

Cawte said the range of groups that have formed the committee, which plans to become a charitable trust if its bid is successful, shows the hall’s versatility, and the benefit of its central location.

They have a growing network of people keen to be involved, some “humble startup capital”, and indications they meet the criteria for funding grants, he said.

“The aim for us is to be self-sufficient long-term.”

Before the committee’s presentation, Mayor Liz McMillan had reminded councillors the tenders for the hall remained open and “to be mindful of your questions”.

The questions the committee received asked about growing interest in joining the group and confidence to run the hall long-term if their bid was successful.

The tenders close on September 11.

The council appointed Property Brokers agent Hamish Niles, who handled the sale of the former council building, to deal with commercial inquiries, while the council will address any community group inquiries.

All tenders will be considered by councillors with the aim of having a settlement mid-November.