The council has voted in a confidential meeting to offer the council-owned land to the Buddhist order.

The proposed temple would be a training ground for monks and would also provide accommodation for up to 500 tourists.

Shoalhaven Mayor Greg Watson says despite some interest from Italy and Victoria, he is confident the temple will be built at Comberton Grange.

"They looked at a number of sites in the Illawarra and also in the Shoalhaven, and he was very, very happy with that site, it's suited everything he really wanted, so that looks like it's got a fair chance of going ahead subject to some of the sticking points with the State Government bureaucrats being resolved," he said.