Dunedin deputy major Chris Staynes cut the ribbon and declared the surface open.
An exhibition match between a University combined team and a combined Albany and Kings United team followed.
The surface has a lifespan of 10 years and Batch said it was important to have good facilities if the region wanted to continue developing elite players.
''It will be a great promotion for the sport down here ... and can only add to the sport,'' he said.
There has been a rush of promising players emerge from Dunedin in the last two or three years. Hugo Inglis, Blair Tarrant, Kane Russell and Nick Ross all went to school in the city and honed their skills on the old turf at the McMillan Centre.
''One of my reasons for coming here is to find out more about the region, because I've only been in New Zealand for five months. We do have some quality players who have come out of this area, so we certainly want that to continue.''
The Black Sticks will play six home test against South Korea in May before heading to the Netherlands for round three of the World League in June. That tournament is a World Cup qualifier.
''It is extremely important. We're just back from Malaysia and that went very well for us. We continued to develop our group and are playing some younger players who have not had an opportunity in the past.
''That is making it more and more difficult to select a team in the future. We wanted more depth in the squad and we're finding it.
''The London Olympic team was a very experienced team but for the squad [at the Azlan Shah Cup] we only had six players with London experience, I think. We had nine players at the tournament with less that 10 tests.''
