Summerset Group would continue its New Zealand growth after receiving resource consent for its Dunedin retirement village, chief executive Norah Barlow said yesterday.
The $60 million village would be home to about 200 residents and include more than 120 units. Construction of the first stage would begin as soon as possible with the first homes completed next year.
Information provided by the company said the resource consent was non-notified but the Dunedin City Council contacted the Otago Daily Times to say the matter was publicly notified and that several people had made submissions.
Mrs Barlow said the Dunedin village highlighted the company's commitment to growth in the mainland and the rest of the country.
Summerset is owned by Australia's Quadrant Group Equity, which last week announced it would list up to 30% of the retirement village operator on the NZX next month.
Early last month Summerset was given Overseas Investment Office approval to buy an existing village in Nelson.
"We are on track to delivering more than 250 new units over the next two years.
"By the end of this year, we expect to have more than 1400 homes and more than 300 care beds. We have a land bank that will enable us to double that number in years to come."
With New Zealand's ageing population, and the increasing demand, for hospital-level care for the elderly, the group was well positioned to maintain its growth, she said.
The company was developing four other sites besides the one in Nelson. The villages were in Manukau, Warkworth, Hastings and Hamilton.
Summerset had two sites land-banked for development in Karaka and Katikati.
Mrs Barlow was not ruling out building in Christchurch once uncertainty over land-rezoning had been resolved.
In the past three years, Summerset had built more than 360 units throughout New Zealand. In Nelson, it had consent to increase the present 12 villas to up to 200.
