The possible location has been the subject of much debate, after a National Health Board panel last year highlighted the need for a scanner to serve the wider Central Otago-Queenstown-Lakes area.
The panel, which was looking at future healthcare services for the Wakatipu Basin, had recommended a scanner be based at Lakes District Hospital.
At its meeting on Thursday, the health board will consider a report by its funding and finance general manager Robert Mackway-Jones, who recommends two scanners be installed, one at Clyde's Dunstan Hospital "immediately" and one at Queenstown, within two years, once details of ownership and funding were sorted out.
His report covered projected population growth in the area, the likely use of the facility, and funding options.
To make the project affordable for the board, a collective funding arrangement between the board, private provider and community support was needed.
Total funding for the two sites would require an investment of $5 million for the first seven years, with the board providing $2.2 million, a private investor $1.4 million and $1.4 million supplied by the community, Mr Mackway-Jones said.
Under the proposal the board would provide operational funding for each scanner totalling $2.2 million over seven years.
The board should support a scanner being installed immediately at Dunstan "provided appropriate community funding support can in fact be established", he said.
The Dunstan scanner would serve the wider area until the second scanner was installed at Queenstown, Mr Mackway-Jones said.
Central Otago Health Services Ltd, (COHSL), which runs Dunstan Hospital, had been lobbying for several years to have a scanner based there.
SDHB chief executive Carole Heatly said yesterday Dunstan was deemed to have the most immediate need, due to its "growth and ageing population".
"We have also identified an opportunity to work with a private provider on a diagnostic suite, including a CT scanner, for Queenstown, as part of a public-private partnership and will work towards having a CT scanner in place there in two years' time," she said.
Former Wakatipu Health Trust executive officer Maria Cole was critical of the data used to make the decision.
Mrs Cole, speaking in a personal capacity, said she was "bitterly disappointed" the urgency had been deemed greater in Dunstan and concerned the DHB had used "flawed data" on which to base its decision.
Many Queenstown residents requiring a scan had to visit specialists outside Queenstown to obtain a referral.
Therefore, data on Queenstown referrals was captured elsewhere.
"A huge proportion of people [also] choose to go private because the waiting lists are too [long]," she said.
"Unless you are able to capture the data of private scans, you aren't comparing apples with apples."
Mrs Cole said the recommendation was a "big step forward", but it would be a "thorny path" to get Queenstown's CT scanner from recommendation to reality.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden, also the Wakatipu Health Reference Panel chairwoman, said it was difficult to comment until a final decision had been made.
"What I can say is that the Wakatipu health reference group is aware of the recommendation and shares the view that it potentially represents a good solution for the entire region."
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper said the dual sites seemed a fair compromise.
