A proposed $400 million cement plant at Weston, near Oamaru, is a step closer to going ahead.
The executive committee of Swiss-based company Holcim has recommended the Weston proposal proceed to its board for a decision.
Holcim New Zealand capital projects manager Ken Cowie said he was "delighted".
"A key step remains however; gaining approval from the Holcim Ltd board."
In a newsletter distributed recently to 8000 Oamaru residents and other interested parties, Holcim New Zealand said it was hopeful a decision would be made this year.
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton said yesterday that it was an important step in the process.
"It's encouraging to see that progress, and we are hopeful that the board will follow through with a positive decision."
He was cautious not to pre-empt a decision. "Until the board says go, nothing will happen."
Waitaki District Council chief executive Michael Ross told a meeting earlier this month that the board was expected to consider the proposal when it met in late August.
A decision had been hoped for at the end of last year.
However, the executive committee asked Holcim New Zealand to provide further details on some aspects of the project.
The project was given approval in the Environment Court in August 2009.
If built, the plant would create 100 to 125 jobs, worth about $8m a year, and a further $5m from downstream jobs, the company has said.
However, the Waiareka Valley Preservation Society the project's main opponent said the site was in front of a significant natural landscape in a valley full of Maori and Pakeha heritage.
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