March 11, 2026
Leeston’s new library and community centre project will avoid review and move into detailed design stage.
Selwyn District Councillors voted on Wednesday to remove a review of Whata Rau from the draft annual plan and progress the project to detailed design to provide clearer costs ahead of the next long-term plan.
The vote was unanimous, with Ellesmere Ward councillor Elizabeth Mundt abstaining.
It was a satisfying outcome for the members of the Whata Rau community reference group.
“We are confident the council can do the detailed design to what it needs to be to get it over the line,” group member Grant Clausen said.
“We appreciate that the councillors listened to our concerns”
The council-appointed volunteer group used the public forum at the start of the meeting to ask the council to progress to detailed design, rather than face another round of consultation.
Reference group member Mike Lay said the project has already had a long process, starting in 2006.
“We have been to the community on multiple occasions for this project.”
Lay said the group had answered all the community questions, and what is required next is to assess an efficient way to deliver the project for less, not more consultation.
He said the budgeted figure is $16.1, but $2m of that had already been spent, reducing the number to $14m, and he has sought “high-level cost estimates”.
“There is room to deliver for well less than the $10m”
Further delays for more consultation will only result in increased cost and deliver less, he said.
Lay said by including the project in the long-term plan, "we actually believe there is some legal obligation to deliver this project”.
Clausen also stressed the exhaustive consultation process to date and a desire to “get on with detailed design”.
“Relitigating the Whata Rau project is both totally unnecessary and demoralising”.
Later in the meeting, when the council were discussing the draft annual plan, which carries a 5.4% increase, deputy mayor Brendan Shefford put forward the motion for the project to be removed from the annual plan and move to detailed design.
Infrastructure and property executive director Tim Mason advised the councillors that staff were ready to roll on to detailed design - immediately start, and there were no timing issues to have it completed in time for the LTP.
Staff indicated the detail design could come back by the end of October.
The councillors voted to move the project to detailed design.
Mundt said her abstention was down to not having full confidence in what was being proposed, as she has information that remains publicly excluded.
She said she wanted to consider the project as part of a full town plan approach rather than projects in isolation.
“I want to work with the community and have everything on the table to create really solid town plans.”
By Jonathan Leask
Leeston’s new library and community centre project will avoid review and move into detailed design stage.
Selwyn District Councillors voted on Wednesday to remove a review of Whata Rau from the draft annual plan and progress the project to detailed design to provide clearer costs ahead of the next long-term plan.
The vote was unanimous, with Ellesmere Ward councillor Elizabeth Mundt abstaining.
It was a satisfying outcome for the members of the Whata Rau community reference group.
“We are confident the council can do the detailed design to what it needs to be to get it over the line,” group member Grant Clausen said.
“We appreciate that the councillors listened to our concerns”
The council-appointed volunteer group used the public forum at the start of the meeting to ask the council to progress to detailed design, rather than face another round of consultation.
Reference group member Mike Lay said the project has already had a long process, starting in 2006.
“We have been to the community on multiple occasions for this project.”
Lay said the group had answered all the community questions, and what is required next is to assess an efficient way to deliver the project for less, not more consultation.
He said the budgeted figure is $16.1, but $2m of that had already been spent, reducing the number to $14m, and he has sought “high-level cost estimates”.
“There is room to deliver for well less than the $10m”
Further delays for more consultation will only result in increased cost and deliver less, he said.
Lay said by including the project in the long-term plan, "we actually believe there is some legal obligation to deliver this project”.
Clausen also stressed the exhaustive consultation process to date and a desire to “get on with detailed design”.
“Relitigating the Whata Rau project is both totally unnecessary and demoralising”.
Later in the meeting, when the council were discussing the draft annual plan, which carries a 5.4% increase, deputy mayor Brendan Shefford put forward the motion for the project to be removed from the annual plan and move to detailed design.
Infrastructure and property executive director Tim Mason advised the councillors that staff were ready to roll on to detailed design - immediately start, and there were no timing issues to have it completed in time for the LTP.
Staff indicated the detail design could come back by the end of October.
The councillors voted to move the project to detailed design.
Mundt said her abstention was down to not having full confidence in what was being proposed, as she has information that remains publicly excluded.
She said she wanted to consider the project as part of a full town plan approach rather than projects in isolation.
“I want to work with the community and have everything on the table to create really solid town plans.”
By Jonathan Leask
