Selwyn-based developer Urban Estates has purchased 160ha of farmland from the Morrish family, who have farmed the land since 1935.
Urban Estates directors Brad Wilson and Justin McDonald said the plan over the next 10-20 years is to have about 2500 houses on the land north of Rolleston, near the intersection of Weedons and Selwyn Rds.
“Rolleston keeps growing at an extreme rate, so it is a matter of identifying where a sensible place is for it to grow,” Wilson said.
“There are very few natural waterways through there – it is great ground for building houses on.”
Landowner Chris Morrish declined to comment on the sale, but confirmed the land will still be farmed for several more years.
Wilson said the deal to buy the land had been in the works for more than 12 months, but would not disclose the purchase price.
He said the project is still in its early stages, with no specific timeline in place.
While there is currently no other development around the proposed site, Rolleston’s medium-density zone comes up to Weedons Rd.
“We are starting to work with consultants and get all our information collated for a private plan change,” Wilson said.
“We have basically not set a time for it. This is a long-term future project for us.”
Wilson said a private plan change to rezone the land from rural is likely to be pursued, as had been done with most other subdivisions in the district.
He also confirmed there are no plans to use the Government’s fast-track process which is currently being introduced into law.
Urban Estates has been developing land for about 10 years, primarily in and around Rolleston, and is currently working on The Hamptons in Prebbleton.
Individually, Wilson, who lives in Ladbrooks, and McDonald, who lives in Prebbleton, have been developing property for about 25 years.
This project will be their largest single land development.
Wilson said the scale of the planned development will allow a community to be created.
“When you have something of this scale, you can actually create a community that is beneficial to the council and the people living there. You can create areas for education, lifestyle, and amenities.
“Rolleston has reached that level now, where a lot of people aren’t commuting to town for work, so it is creating that live-work-play lifestyle,” he said.
McDonald added that alongside residential development, there may be opportunities for commercial and retail zoning.
“That’s part of the scoping study we are doing at the moment,” he said.
“All of our scoping is trying to facilitate what Rolleston needs, but also remembering that what it needs now will be different in another decade.”
Rolleston’s population is on target to reach about 40,000 by 2034.
