Oamaru's biggest child care centre, proposed by a company with North Otago connections, should be given resource consent approval to be built on the corner of Thames and Nen Sts, according to a report by a consultant planner for the Waitaki District Council.
Little Wonders Childcare (Oamaru) Ltd, a company owned by North Otago's Hurst family and associates, has applied to the council to build the 638sq m centre, which would cater for up to 100 children, on a 2360sq m residential site.
Already, Little Wonder centres have been built or have resource consent approval for Mt Eden, Cromwell and Dunedin.
According to Companies Office records, the overall management company for the centres is Little Wonders Management Ltd, based in Auckland and with former Crusaders and Canterbury rugby halfback Ben Hurst, son of Ian and Gloria Hurst of Papakaio, listed as its sole shareholder and director.
Shareholders and directors of the companies involved in the centres in Oamaru, Cromwell, Mt Eden and Dunedin vary, but generally include Ben Hurst, Doug and Donna Hurst, Ian and Gloria Hurst, Leanne and Geoff McPhail (Hurst Holdings) and Peter Robinson (North Otago Motor Group).
The registered office for some of the companies operating the centres is Hurst Holdings at Papakaio.
A hearings panel of the Waitaki council will consider the Oamaru centre's land use resource consent application on Friday, June 20.
Resource management consultant Mike Searle, in a report prepared for the hearings panel, said consent could be granted because effects of the development would be no more than minor.
His recommendation is not binding on the panel.
While the building would be larger than a normal house, its appearance would be similar to a residential building.
Mr Searle suggested 10 conditions, covering a financial contribution to the council, landscaping, archaeological discoveries, access and egress to the site, car parking, stormwater and noise limits.
There was one submission opposing the development from child care centre, Barnardos Early Learning Centre which said itself and one other centre were within two blocks of the Little Wonders' site and suggested it should be established elsewhere in Oamaru.
"There are already two child care centres in the area, another would drain parents from central Oamaru," it said.
It also raised concerns about the effects of traffic from Thames St (SH 1), the number and ages of children to be cared for and staffing.
Little Wonders Childcare's proposal is to demolish an existing house on two of the three titles and construct a purpose-built, single-storey child care facility which would blend in with surrounding residences.
There were businesses nearby.
It would have four large separate indoor activity rooms (each with toilets and washrooms), sleeping area, staff room, office, laundry, kitchen-store, staff toilets and reception area.
The maximum staff at any one time would be 15, including two cooks and an administrator.
The rest of the site included landscaping, car parking for 20 vehicles and two landscaped play areas on the northern portion.
It would be designed for day-time care of children up to age 5, with a maximum of 100 children at any time.
This would comprise of 25 children less than 2 years old and up to 75 over 2 years old.
It would offer full-time care five days a week between 7.30am and 6pm, along with part-time care.
