Forbury Park Trotting Club. Photo: Supplied / Dunedin City Council
The Dunedin City Council has bought a former racecourse with hopes it may be used to help one of the lowest lying suburbs adapt to climate change.
The sale of Forbury Park has been bogged down by legal action, but the council and Harness Racing New Zealand confirmed the sale of the nearly 12 hectare property in South Dunedin.
The $13.2 million sale price was funded using the council's existing capital expenditure budget.
Forbury Park is one of the largest pieces of available land in the city.
Dunedin mayor Jules Radich said the purchase was a commitment to the South Dunedin community which remained at risk from climate change, flooding and rising groundwater.
"The opportunity to acquire undeveloped land of this scale and in this location is rare, a site of this size is likely to have a variety of uses," Radich said.
The council planned to engage with the community about its potential future uses, which could include stormwater management.
"I'm sure there will be no shortage of great ideas from the public, which could be coupled with public infrastructure on the site. At this stage, all options are on the table, and it is important to get the community's input."
The last race meeting was held in 2021 and the land was put up for sale by Harness Racing New Zealand last year.
Its chair Phil Holden said they intended to invest the proceeds to benefit racing, and nationally.
"We are delighted to have concluded a sale with the Dunedin City Council. They have been great to deal with and the result is a win for them, Dunedin, and also our sport. It has taken a while to get here and we couldn't be happier," he said.
