Support is growing in Southland for the Solid Energy-Ravensdown proposed lignite to fertiliser plant.

A survey conducted on behalf of the two companies drew just 9 per cent disapproval for the project, which is thought to be worth $377m a year to the economy.

Ravensdown Chairman Bill McLeod says the result isn’t surprising given the massive economic boost the scheme would bring to the region.

“You’re talking hundreds of millions, somewhere between 500 and a billion, depending on what the price of urea is, and what any mine would produce."

Mr McLeod says locals are also buoyant about the prospect of hundreds of new jobs.

"Particularly in the building phase it would help. They are very, very big plants, and they’d employ a lot of labourers in the immediate and longer term.”

Federated Farmers has thrown its weight behind the scheme as well.

Southland President Rod Pemberton says a large-scale local operation will take a big chunk out of fertiliser import costs.

"It’s $600m we don’t have to spend overseas, and presumably there’s talk of much of that being exported anyway – it would be a big earner for us.

"That’s what we need more of at the moment, not more debt.”

Mr Pemberton says the plant would do wonders for Southland’s long-term economic development.