The Ashburton Domian Pavilion is now the hands of Mid Canterbury Cricket after a decade of negotiations.
The pavilion, rebuilt after the previous structure was destroyed by arson in 1998, had been owned by the Ashburton Domain Oval Pavilion Charitable Trust on land owned by the Ashburton District Council.
The Trust needed to be dissolved before ownership of the building could be transferred to Mid Canterbury Cricket.
The ownership transfer finally occurred in September, with the cricket association purchasing the building for $1.
Chairperson Jane Fowles said the pavilion has long served cricket in Mid Canterbury, supporting training, matches, and community events.
She said the association is committed to preserving and enhancing the venue to ensure it continues to support the growth of cricket across all levels – from grassroots to senior representative teams she said.
“Owning the pavilion secures our indoor training nets and gives us the opportunity to upgrade the facility to better serve our players, coaches, and supporters.”
The building had become dilapidated over the last 10 years as the council and user groups didn’t want to invest in repairs to a building they didn’t own.
To support the necessary upgrades and maintenance required, Mid Canterbury Cricket is launching a community sponsorship campaign, inviting local businesses and individuals to contribute financially or through in-kind support such as paint, carpet, plumbing, and electrical services Fowles said.
“We’re excited to work with the community to make the pavilion a true asset for everyone in the Ashburton Domain.
“This is about more than cricket. It’s about creating a space that reflects the values of the Ashburton cricket community.”
General manager Mark Medlicott said they have already cleaned the gutters and roof to get it ready for painting.
“When we took over the building it only had one functioning toilet out of the four.”
“We have had the plumbers in and now it’s back to four and the showers don’t leak.”
They have a plan for the next three years, which will involve seeking grant funding as well as the community sponsorship campaign.
“The faster we can get the lounge and kitchen tidied up, the easier it is to rent out and generate some income to help pay for it all.”
He said they hope to have the building “looking presentable” in time for hosting two over 70s cricket world cup matches at the end of the summer.
The council had been facilitating the transfer for a number of years and business support group manager Helen Barnes said reaching a resolution was “a good outcome for the building, those who use it, and for ratepayers”.
“Council has been only a facilitator in discussions about its future over the years and it’s great to see Mid Canterbury Cricket want to give it a new lease of life.
The council had previously had a $300,000 budget ‘for repairs and maintenance’ on the books, which was carried over into the 2024-2025 year, but only $20,000 has been carried into 2025/26.
“The council will no longer do the majority of the work,” Barnes said.
“We have committed to undertaking identified work on the sound shell, and $20,000 was carried over for this work.”
On the other side of the Ashburton Domain, the council took over the Walnut Ave pavilion in 2024, and had $150,000 budgeted for repairs and maintenance.
Barnes said that has included floor coverings, painting, carpentry works, roof repairs and gutter replacement, window treatments and replacements, plumbing repairs, heating system repair, lighting replacements, and an alarm system upgrade.
Domain Pavilion History
The first Domain pavilion, which was more like a grandstand, opened on February 7, 1907.
It was supposed to be built for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee that occurred 11-years earlier.
A fire severely damaged the top floor on September 14, 1946, but the brick ground floor portion was repaired and reroofed to be used as a single storey complex by sports clubs, mainly cricket.
The building was destroyed by arsonists on July 17, 1998.
A new pavilion was built on the opposite side of the oval, incorporating clubrooms, indoor cricket wicket, sound stage, and storage.
