The Southland District Health Board could sell land at the Lakes District Hospital site in Frankton to finance its redevelopment plans, board chief executive Brian Rousseau said yesterday.
The board is seeking public feedback on its proposed $9 million refurbishment of the hospital and the establishment of an integrated family healthcare centre.
One option was to sell a section across the road from the hospital, which houses a mental health facility, and place a caveat on it to ensure it was used for residential care for the elderly.
"There is a possibility of selling it off but there would have to be separate consultation on that.
"A piece of land needs to be retained for a residential village for the elderly . . .
"A village where people live independently but know they can get care across the road," he said.
He said the land had not been valued, but said a caveat would decrease its potential sale price.
Selling land was just one funding mechanism the board could choose.
However, he did not agree with selling the land.
"I will not recommend that to the board.
"It needs to ensure a campus is available for a rapidly expanding population."
The hospital had sufficient land for up to 30 years, he said.
Once Queenstown's population exceeded 50,000 it would need more than one hospital campus.
Remarkables Park Ltd director Alastair Porter said when contacted yesterday the board should sell all the land and contract services out to private health-care providers on private land.
Remarkables Park Ltd has resource consent to build a private hospital at Frankton.
However, its partner, Southern Cross Hospitals, has told the Otago Daily Times it was interested in a contract to provide elective surgery at the redeveloped Lakes District Hospital.
Mr Porter said he had other "hospital people interested in stepping into the operation".
He said the Lakes District Hospital site was not suited to surgery because it was in the airport flight path and too noisy.
The board could contract work at the private hospital.
"They want to bring private enterprise into a public hospital.
"I think it would make more sense to bring public funding to private enterprises.
"Sell the hospital land, which is really only suited to an airport hotel because it has great views and is next to the airport, but it is a noisy, sloping site unsuitable for a health-care facility," he said.
The board should not own any land, but use every dollar on delivering services, he said.
"I can't understand how a health board that has complained about being short of funds can . . . compete with private enterprise and using public money to do so.
"It should concentrate on delivering health care," he said.
Sanctuary Retirement Villages had preliminary approval for a retirement village on Remarkable Park land.
Mr Porter said he had seen a draft resource consent approval and had approved one technicality regarding storm water.
"The approved resource consent should be out next week," he said.
The proposed village, to be located to the east of the Remarkables Park Town Centre, would have capacity for 158 residents.
The application said the L-shaped building would house 120 apartments; 10 serviced units; two care units and two motel units.
The project would be built in stages.
