Arrowtown residents lobbying for a second community preschool centre are appealing to Lakes district companies to donate time or materials to the project.
The Arrowtown Community Preschool group said it was looking for any assistance, from donations of building materials to physical work such as clearing and flattening the earmarked site.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes attended a community information evening last month and had since spoken to the Ministry of Education, preschool group spokeswoman Juliet Pope said.
"The mayor is wanting to instigate a Wakatipu-wide analysis of the number of [under 5] children and the facilities needed to accommodate them.
"It's about checking the present and looking to the future."
The 15-strong voluntary group behind the proposed new centre received 228 completed surveys by the deadline of June 18.
The survey showed 143 children (including 33 not yet born) were not attending an early childhood education service.
Ms Pope, an architect and mother of three, is part of the subcommittee volunteering its expertise to the project.
She said the survey also showed that many children who used early childhood education required more hours than were currently available.
"The Ministry of Education has advised that we needed a minimum of 50 children not attending to proceed with our project for a new 0-3-year-old centre.
"We have more than double that."
Ms Pope said the data was being reviewed by statistical analysts Rationale Ltd, which will provide a report to go with the group's application.
The next step is to develop the plans for the new centre.
Ms Pope said the group also needed to collect letters of support for the project from the community and provide a register of teachers interested in working at the new centre.
"We are required to provide a centre contribution . . . of $40,000. Of this figure, 50% can be donated time and materials."
The group's application must be lodged with the ministry by October 1.
