01/04/2025
Woodhill Resource consent and Financial update!
All entries help pay the mortgage, we can support and play our part by attending as much as possible so we have this place for a long time into the future.
Get your entries in & if you don’t have a float, no worries - hire one of ours.
Make sure you don’t miss out by booking in advance with both us & woodhill.
Holbrook Float Hire Auckland
🌟🌟Woodhill Sands Resource Consent & Financial Update🌟🌟
We are pleased to share that, after a long and challenging process, the Environment Court has now issued its final decision on our Resource Consent application. This journey began with the initial hearing in May 2022, followed by an interim decision in February 2024, and now, in March 2025, we have a final ruling.
This decision provides the Trust and our wider community with much-needed certainty about the conditions under which Woodhill Sands can operate moving forward. While there is a 15-working-day appeal window before the commencement of the consent, any appeal can only be made on a point of law. We are currently reviewing the 81-page decision to fully understand its implications.
While a key outcome is that the Court has accepted our definition of equestrian activities and events (which is a positive step), one of the most immediate impacts is that all winter activity at Woodhill Sands will be limited to 50 horses on site per day. This means event entries will be capped accordingly. We are currently working with our venue team and our user groups who hire the venue to explore ways to adapt to these new conditions. More details will be shared as schedules and entries become available.
The full decision of the Environment Court can be viewed here:
🔗 NZ Environment Court Decision – Woodhill Sands
https://www.nzlii.org/cgi-bin/sinodisp/nz/cases/NZEnvC/2025/78.html?query=WST%20Company%202016%20Ltd
Financial Update 💲
At the community meeting last October, we discussed extending the mortgage term to reduce monthly repayments. However, after further discussions with Auckland Council (who guarantee our loan), it became clear that even after restructuring, the payments would still be unaffordable. We are continuing to explore options with the Council regarding both our short-term financial situation and longer-term solutions.
How You Can Help 🫶
Woodhill Sands is more than just ‘a’ venue, it’s your venue. It’s a place where riders create lifelong memories—where we experience achievement, learning, laughter, and social connection. It’s a place for family, Grandparents, Mums, Dads and children, and hopefully future generations, to ride or support riders, just as past generations have. From grassroots riders to top-level competitors, Woodhill Sands nurtures and supports equestrians across all disciplines.
To ensure the continued success of Woodhill Sands, we need your support:
✔ Attend our days —Every entry makes a difference! With our winter calendar now having started, please check out the upcoming events section of our website and pages, with entries available through Evo Events. You can view the winter schedule here:
✔ Volunteer your time—Help out at shows or behind the scenes to keep our events running smoothly.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Woodhill Sands. Together, we can ensure its future for years to come.🏆🎉
The Woodhill Sands Trust
