Details of the project are now available from an information office opened by the company in Waimate yesterday, which also has preliminary concept plans for the layout of the plant and what it could look like.
The company wants to build it on land on the south side of Cooney Rd, just off State Highway 1, about 4km north of Glenavy.
It plans to apply to the Waimate District Council for land use consents and Environment Canterbury (ECan) for discharge consents in the middle of next month.
Oceania Dairy chairman Keith Turner said yesterday, at the opening of the information office, the company hoped to have a decision on its consents by the end of the year.
Allowing time for any appeals to the Environment Court, Dr Turner hoped the company would be clear to complete financing and call tenders to build the plant by the end of March, with construction starting in June.
That would be followed by testing and commissioning the plant by spring, 2011.
Dr Turner said some of the design, landscaping and architectural details of the plant still needed to be finalised, but the concept plans available at the office gave a good indication of what it could look like.
The project is being managed by Apollo Projects through the resource consent phase.
Project manager Patrick Edwards and Oceania Dairy's acting chief executive, Paul Park, would be available at the information office on Fridays to answer questions.
The office would also open on other days, but these still had to be decided.
Information on the project would be provided and the public could offer their views, which would help in finalising resource consent applications.
If the project gets consents, the office could also be the base for job inquiries from prospective employees.
The new plant will be able to handle milk production from up to 50,000 cows.
Mr Park said there had been good support and strong interest from potential suppliers in the Waimate area and as far south as Kakanui.
"Suppliers are looking forward to seeing what we can offer as an alternative," he said.
Eventually, Oceania could also own dairy farms in the area to supply the plant, although Dr Turner said that was in the "10 to 15-year plan".
