Eight members of the public attended the extraordinary community board meeting to consider funding a feasibility study and deciding whether to ask the Clutha District Council to contribute up to $1 million towards the facility.
But the meeting stopped short of asking for a large amount. It did recommend the council contribute $60,000 for a study and another $20,000 towards the cost of changing the council's longterm plan if the study revealed a new hospital was viable.
Once the study is completed, the board will decide if it needs to ask for more ratepayer money. The study is expected to take up to four months.
No-one at the meeting spoke against the plan for a hospital but some
expressed concern about the exact cost to the community once built.
West Otago Health Trust chairman Brian Brenssell said the public would be fully consulted on the study's findings and then if any significant fund-raising campaign was needed.
West Otago Health Ltd and the Otago District Health Board recently struck a deal to develop a new medical centre and aged-care facility on the grounds of the former Tapanui hospital.