Formal talks that could launch a month-long consultation phase to consider plans to build a $15 million retirement village in Oamaru will start next week.
On Tuesday, the Waitaki District Council committee of the whole will confirm its intention to consult on the proposal put forward by Waitaki District Health Services (WDHS) to build a retirement village on Hospital Hill.
However, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton said because WDHS was a council-controlled organisation, feedback from the community would be needed before the proposal went ahead.
The initial consultation would focus on establishing two new council-controlled organisations to manage and operate the facilities, which would include 21 villas, 12 apartments, 40 rest-home care beds in individual en-suite rooms and a community centre.
Mr Familton said the proposal had many potential benefits for the district, including about 70 new jobs.
''This project will give our retirees a residential choice, backed by quality healthcare in an outstanding location.
"It will complement and add to present facilities in our district and ensure that we care for all our people in their district. People will not now need to look for options elsewhere.''
He said any surplus finances from the village would be invested back into providing health services in Waitaki, which would result in them being strengthened into the future.
If the council confirmed its support for the proposal at Tuesday's meeting, the consultation process would begin on Wednesday, July 31, and close on Monday, September 2. Further decisions would be made on September 24 following the consultation.
The proposal would have to through a number of additional phases, including the resource and building consent processes, before it could be built.
