A retirement village complex, costing up to $15 million for its first stage and creating 70 jobs, is being proposed on ''Hospital Hill'' overlooking Oamaru by the Waitaki District Health Services Trust.
Next to the observatory, with an extension to be built off Stoke St, the ''Observatory Village'' is aimed at a growing demand from an ageing population in North Otago for all aspects of retirement care.
The first stage would be 21 villas of up to three bedrooms, 12 apartments, 40 rest-home care beds in individual en-suite rooms and a community centre with library, chapel, technology, media and music rooms, fitness suite, gymnasium, hair salon and provision for indoor bowls.
The almost 8ha site allows for further stages, depending on demand, of up to another 21 villas, 12 apartments and 40 hospital care beds. The final configurations will depend on detailed design yet to be carried out.
Depending on consultation, earthworks on the first stage could start early next year and be completed in two years.
Any financial benefits from the village would be used to provide extra health services for the district.
The trust is part of Waitaki District Health Services Ltd, a company owned by the Waitaki District Council to provide health services, including Oamaru Hospital, for the district. Land proposed for the development would be bought from the council.
Waitaki District Health Services chairman George Berry announced the project today as an extension of health services which would complement existing aged-care facilities and provide for a growing need in the district.
''We already provide four aged-care hospital beds for the elderly in Takaro Lodge [at Oamaru Hospital], but we have a high proportion of elderly people in our district and population projections show there is a need for more beds and a greater range of services.''
Demographics were the driving force for the project, with the proportion of the district's population aged 65 years or over expected to increase from 23% - about twice the national average - to 73% in the next 20 years.
Aged-care bed numbers would need to increase by 80% to 110% by 2026. Mr Berry said the village would provide a greater choice for the elderly.
''We know some people are moving out of the district because they are unable to access this type of facility and demand is increasing.''
Villas with up to three bedrooms would cater for independent people with an option of services such as laundry, meals and nursing care.
They would be bought by residents under an occupational right agreement, used nationally and governed by the Retirement Villages' Act, with the company buying back the villas at an agreed price.
The company would be responsible for all external maintenance, garden areas and refurbishment of the units.
Apartments, rest-home care beds and hospital beds would provide the variety of retirement care now expected.
The facilities would be available to anyone, regardless of income or ability to pay, who required that level of care and the usual publicly-funded subsidies for those who qualified.
An experienced, specialised and professional management team and a registered nurse would be on site.
Waitaki District Health Services ownership of Oamaru Hospital and provision of health services was unique in New Zealand and an unqualified success in delivering healthcare to a community proud of having a locally-owned and managed hospital.
The village would be a commercial operation, building on what the company was already doing, and any additional profit from it would enable it to do even more, he said.
The observatory would not be affected by the development and the council had been briefed, was supportive in principle of the concept and the offer to buy the land at market value.
Councillors would discuss the proposal at a meeting on July 30.
If approval was given, the council would need to go through a special consultation process asking people for their views.
If that was successful, the development would then go through the resource consents process, which would give people a further opportunity for input.
