'Plenty of demand' for upmarket sections

The old Oamaru hospital in 2010. Photo: Waitaki District Council
The old Oamaru hospital in 2010. Photo: Waitaki District Council

The old Oamaru hospital in 2010. Photo: Waitaki District Council
The old Oamaru hospital in 2010. Photo: Waitaki District Council

There is demand for the abundance of new sections and properties about to come on the Oamaru market, say those in the know.

The Goodland Group announced this week it planned to pull down the old Oamaru hospital on the hill to make way for an 82-lot residential development.

This follows news of proposed 22-section subdivision Forrester Heights and the development of the $22 million Observatory Retirement Village above the old hospital site.

According to the 2013 census, there were 660 more people in Oamaru than in 2006.

Venture Waitaki chairman Simon Berry said news of the latest subdivision on the old hospital site was great.

‘‘Our feeling is there's not enough land being subdivided up for growth.

‘‘There's demand for new housing and the land is not matching it, so the more it can be developed the better.''

He had not seen the subdivision plans, but said he was interested in how the company, the Goodland Group, would market the site.

‘‘The more activity we can see in that space the better.''

Mr Berry said demand for new housing in Oamaru was being driven by people seeking properties to grow old in or to retire to, but they were looking for residential sites that were upmarket.

While Oamaru did have that type of site, that market was full and there was nowhere for new people to break into, he said.

‘‘There's no top end places to buy. When they do find stuff it's very limited supply.''

Real estate agent Tony Spivey welcomed the old hospital site development, but with a note of caution.

‘‘There is a lot of water that needs to go under the bridge before we can say it's a goer. There's a lot of costing and processes to go through before we can say it's a definite subdivision.

''It was an exciting possibility.

‘‘There's definitely demand for it. If you look around there's very little subdivision in Oamaru and the surrounding district areas. There's very little quality residential land available of this size. It's bloody hard work to find sections at the moment.''

Former Waitaki mayor Alan McLay, now a real estate agent, said the Goodland Group subdivision had potential to be a high-class housing project, given its elevation and ocean outlook.

A criticism levelled at Oamaru was there was nowhere people could build a million-dollar home if they wanted to, he said, Oamaru had experienced an increase in interest in housing developments over the past six months from people in Christchurch, Australia and Asia.

He put the interest down to Christchurch earthquake claims being settled and people leaving that area, a new flight route from China to Christchurch, and Oamaru enjoying better publicity over the past three years and no longer being seen as just a sleepy town.

Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher expected building companies would also be pleased with news of the old hospital site subdivision.

‘‘There's a demand for good building sites. It's going to on relatively flat ground with good views.''

Hospital building

The owner of the old Oamaru hospital has been told it cannot do any major demolition work to the pre-1900 structure of the building until it has an archeological authority.

Work on the slab level of the obvious 20th-century-built part of the building can be done in the meantime, although groundworks may not proceed until the earth is checked for archeological features.

Heritage New Zealand spokeswoman Shelley Fry said the owners needed to apply for and be granted an archaeological authority for the demolition of the pre-1900 structure, features or buildings.

‘‘There may be in-ground archaeological features beneath the slab.''

‘‘The project team have been advised to engage an archaeologist who can provide them with details of areas where works can continue and provide an archaeological assessment of the site.''

shannon.gillies@odt.co.nz

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