Speaking to a report suggesting the demolition of the buildings, which were evacuated earlier this year, Mr Thomson said a way of asking the Southland community about the future of the buildings needed to be found.
He told the committee he was not suggesting the board should spend a "couple of million dollars" on building restoration.
"I don't think that's our role."
However, there might be people who saw value in the nurses' home being retained.
He was critical of the lack of financial information in the report, but management advised this information had been included in previous in-committee reports.
Finance and Funding general manager Robert Mackway-Jones, responding to Otago Daily Times questions on this, said assessments indicated more than $5 million would be needed to meet council earthquake-resistance requirements.
He was reluctant to state the estimated cost of demolition, as this had yet to go to tender, but it was likely to be more than $200,000.
An amount for demolition has been included in the board's annual plan, which is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Health.
In his report to the committee, facilities and site development manager Warren Taylor said the buildings were a liability for the board.
Maintenance staff faced an ongoing health and safety risk because they had to access the administration building in order to maintain services linked to the kitchen and dining building.
Staff had met the Historic Places Trust and explained the risks and financial constraints involved in restoration.
They had inspected a building in Dunedin that had used an alternative strengthening method, but this would still "not be cost-effective or fit for purpose", he said.
Other options suggested were investigating a low-interest loan with the Southland Heritage Building Preservation Trust, but this was not considered cost-effective either.
The buildings have a Historic Places Category 1 registration.
Historic Places Trust Otago Southland area manager Owen Graham told the ODT the trust wanted to see some record kept of the 1930s administration building of a hospital that was "quite important at the time".
Demolition did not need to be the outcome, he said.
There had been some removal of a ward block at the rear of the nurses' home and some ancillary buildings.
The administration building was self-contained and any strengthening programme could be staged as funding allowed.
There might be health-related organisations that would be interested in having space on the hospital campus.
Chief operating officer (Southland) Lexie O'Shea told yesterday's meeting that some administration staff were still in temporary accommodation as a result of the move and options for permanent housing were still being explored.
Committee chairman Paul Menzies said a specified time would be needed for any further consultation on the issue.
Ms O'Shea indicated she would provide a further report on the issue.
