Demand boom triggers sale of land in Rolleston for 1000 homes
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
Land which could hold about 1000 new homes in Rolleston has been put up for sale by the Carter Group as developers clamour for land in the town.
The 28-hectare block is a piece of the larger Rolleston West subdivision, which gained Selwyn District Council approval and was rezoned for housing after a long battle by Christchurch-based developer the Carter Group.
The whole subdivision is planned with between 3500 and 4200 homes, plus four commercial areas and parks.
The Carter Group owns the former farmland through its company Westhaven Rolleston, until recently known as Rolleston West Ltd.
The block for sale is on the corner of Selwyn Rd and Dunns Crossing Rd, at the south-west end of the subdivision site. It is described as shovel-ready for a land developer.
With demand high, land zoned for residential development in Selwyn district can sell for up to $2 million a hectare, depending on location, meaning the block could be worth at least $50m.
Tim Carter, who owns 50% of the project with his father Philip Carter, said they have been approached by other developers wanting to buy some of the subdivision site.
If they get the right price, they will sell the 28ha block and develop the rest, he said.
“We are very much proceeding with our residential development in Rolleston – we are very excited about the demand out there.
“Developers have asked us whether we would consider selling a block of land because of the huge demand for homes in Rolleston.
“Demand for sections is incredibly strong, and they’re selling a lot quicker than what developers have planned for, or anticipated.”
Carter said much of the demand for new homes and sections in Rolleston is coming from out-of-town buyers, mostly North Islanders wanting to relocate.
The land is for sale with an April 15 deadline.
He said they will only sell it for an acceptable price, “otherwise we will develop it ourselves”.
Carter said the land is ideal for housing as it is near amenities, schools, and workplaces in the town’s industrial area.
The real estate agent marketing the land, Chris Jones of Bayleys, said it is very rare for such a large block of residential land to be offered for sale.
“Anything of this scale really allows someone to get stuck in and do a master-planned development, perhaps over as many as 10 years.”
Land developers, home builders and organisations such as retirement village operators are all wanting land in the district, he said.
“There’s a real shortage. Once councils just rezoned land, now it seems to have to be developer-led to get rezoning.”
Selwyn District Council originally declined planning permission for the Rolleston West subdivision, following considerable opposition from submitters including Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury.
The Carter Group appealed the decision to the Environment Court.
This led to a mediated agreement with the council that the subdivision could proceed with the number of sections reduced from 4200 to 3500.
The development was also accepted into the Government’s fast-track process, but the application is on hold as legal approval can only be sought through one channel.
Rolleston now has a resident population of about 34,000, a number which could reach 50,000 by the early 2030s, based on Stats NZ data.
The Carter Group owns a total of 300ha of residential land in Rolleston, and is also the developer behind the town’s iPort industrial business park.
It also has plans for an 850-home housing subdivision at Ohoka in North Canterbury, the subject of both a fast-track application and an Environment Court appeal after it was turned down by Waimakariri District Council.
It is also building the 2000-section Earlsbrook subdivision in Lincoln.