The Kaitangata community seems to have embraced the idea of having the town's former open-cast coal mine vested back into the area.
Solid Energy, which owns the former mine and has spent more than $1 million upgrading the area, has issued a draft contract to Kaitangata and Districts Promotions.
Community co-ordinator Jean Proctor said the feedback from the recent public meeting held to discuss the plan was very positive.
Several names were put forward for a steering committee to handle the possible handover, and a public meeting to confirm the committee and look at other issues was likely within the next six weeks.
A mural project, under which coloured murals would ‘‘pop up'' on various buildings around the town, to counter tagging and other vandalism, had also been created, Mrs Proctor said.
Creating more signage and marketing around the official ‘‘Black Gold Town'' branding was also high on the agenda. Mrs Proctor was thrilled with the ‘‘positive vibe'' evident at the recent meeting, attended by 70 people.
‘‘It was great to see and be part of.''
