The Carterton Events Centre was opened in 2011 but the closest conference accommodation is in Masterton.



Carterton is proposing to offer up some of its prime land next to its civic buildings for next to nothing in the hope of attracting a large hotel to the middle of town.

District Council chief executive Jane Davis said it was an opportunity for Carterton to take the lead in attracting an investor to establish an 80-100 bed hotel into the central Wairarapa.

Given the potential to increase the use of the Carterton Events Centre the nearby location would make sense, she said.

suppied The location of the Carterton District Council land on Holloway St that may be offered up to a potential hotel investor.

"Often when you're building a decent size hotel they will build a meeting space and conference space, so that would be where the real benefit would be. The hotelier wouldn't have to do that because it is right next to an existing events centre."

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The council will decide on Wednesday whether to support the proposal to investigate offering up 9700m2 of land next to the events centre on Holloway Street. It is currently used as a operations depot and for storage.

ILLYA MCLELLAN/STUFF The events centre in Holloway St, Carterton. A hotel next door would complement the facilities.

"It would be possible to relocate the depot activities elsewhere, should the council decide that this land could be made available for a hotel development," Davis said.

While Masterton district to the north, with 321 beds, and South Wairarapa with 425, have significant accommodation capacity, Carterton has just 48 accommodation beds available.

The nearest conference centre is the Solway Park Copthorne in Masterton.

As part of the proposal, the land could be offered up for a little as $1 if that was what it took to secure an investor.

"Ideally we would get a return for that land but if it's a deal breaker... my recommendation is that councillors stay open-minded about the possibility of a gift of the land as a contribution."

The proposal also included applying to the Provincial Growth Fund to fund the preparation of a case for a hotel investment on the depot land.

Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock said there was "latent demand" in the region and with the right facilities towns could capture some of the market.

"There's business out there that we've not been able to get in the past that we might be able to get with the extra hotel."

Insufficient conference accommodation was one of the major factors outlined in the recently released Wairarapa Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan that was seen to be holding back tourism in the region.