Otago Polytechnic and Santana Minerals have signed a multi-year lease agreement for a 35-bed accommodation block on the Bannockburn Rd campus, converting the vacant educational facility into dedicated housing for workers on the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project (BOGP).
It was closed late last year, following a six-year consolidation programme of the polytechnic’s education programmes.
The site comprises seven fully furnished, five-bedroom houses, arranged around a commercial kitchen.
Each house is self-contained with single bedrooms, shared kitchen, laundry and living areas.
If fast-track approvals for the mine are granted, Santana will lease the campus facilities for up to three years.
The wider Cromwell campus, which covers about 3000sq m, is on the market and Ngāi Tahu is being given the right of first refusal to buy it.
Any future purchaser would take on Santana’s lease as part of the transaction.
Community organisations using former classroom spaces on the site — including the Cromwell Toy Library, the Reap education facility and Mums4Mums — will be able to remain until those buildings change hands.
Until then, Otago Polytechnic operations deputy executive director Max Sims said the ‘‘arrangement’’ would give the polytechnic a reliable income stream.
‘‘This arrangement gives the campus a purposeful role during the transition period, generates income to support the polytechnic’s operations and keeps the facility contributing to the Central Otago community.’’
Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said the agreement was an early operational move ahead of a panel decision on fast-track approvals consent, which was due on October 29.
A draft decision was expected up to six weeks before then.
‘‘The leasing deal comes with consenting approval conditions.’’
Much of the Bendigo-Ophir workforce would be drawn from the local region, but the leased facility would provide dedicated housing for workers who needed to relocate to support the construction phase.
It aimed to reduce pressure on Cromwell’s rental market.
‘‘Management of the facility will follow established construction camp standards, supporting a respectful and positive presence in the Cromwell community.
‘‘The accommodation forms part of a broader workforce housing strategy.’’
Santana is also developing a planned 80-room on-site construction camp for contractors, subject to its fast-track consent approval.
‘‘Much of our workforce will be local, but we will be bringing people to this region, and we take that responsibility seriously,’’ Mr Spring said.
‘‘Having dedicated accommodation in place is part of doing this project the right way.’’
