Two Oamaru Harbour sections slated for visitor accommodation could be developed as visitor attractions instead, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher says.
The search for developers for two vacant sites at Oamaru's waterfront officially began this week, as the Waitaki District Council started formally seeking expressions of interest - but the council has cast a wider net than it previously indicated for the potential harbour accommodation sites.
''There's other things which will work,'' Mr Kircher said this week.
''I am confident that we will have at least one or two new visitor accommodation options there [at the harbour], but I believe that there could sort of be three other things which could go with them, either on the same bits of land, or on other bits of land in the area. Oamaru's really going ahead and this is one of the jewels in the Waitaki district's attractions. We just want to make the most of it, and help bring more people to the district.
''If someone said 'Hey look, I want to do this type of visitor attraction, or this business, that caters to visitors in some other way', then we're more than happy to [consider it].''
A planned visitor accommodation study for Oamaru was cancelled late last year and at least six groups have already made unsolicited approaches to the council expressing interest in building hotels, motels or apartment accommodation at the waterfront.
But councillors decided to open up the process to see what others wanted to do with the 7400sq m and 6200sq m sites in Esplanade Dr and Tyne St.
A council press release quotes Mr Kircher as saying: ''Although our Harbour Strategy has identified these sites as being ideal for visitor accommodation, council will consider other complementary proposals.''
Detailed design work would not be required at this stage and Mr Kircher said he did not want to speculate on what types of businesses might be proposed for the accommodation sites.
''We're open to possibilities,'' he said.
''I don't want to be too prescriptive in what I say because that suddenly becomes the thing that people might be thinking we're going to put there.''
The council press release notes the area ''has seen considerable development over recent years, including the creation of a Steampunk-themed children's playground, a cafe, and more recently, the opening of a bike skills park specifically targeting young children''.
Council acting chief executive Neil Jorgensen confirmed the plan was to ''court people with some great ideas that can complement the area and work out a package that is going to work for everybody''.
''What council is saying is ... we don't have all the good ideas,'' Mr Jorgensen said.
''If you've got something that's really cool, that you think is going to meet our objectives of making Oamaru a great place to live and play - and can help complement the harbour area - then please present it.''
Mr Kircher said as the process was at a stage where the council would be determining whether applicants were able to accomplish the plans they set out, only a general understanding of what would be proposed was required.
However, the council was expecting ''a reasonable level of investment'' in the sites.
He said that while the sale of land at the foreshore was the ''ideal'' scenario, the council would be open to a lease if it stacked up for ratepayers.
Council documents show council evaluation of the expressions of interest will begin in August with its response to submitters due on September 15.
