However, a senior Dunedin City Council manager involved in the change has defended the decision, saying it was about managing the council's message and was "not a gag".
DCC Tahuna upgrade manager Brian Turner has been told to refer all media queries to members of the council's project control group - made up of senior council staff - after years as the public face of the project.
The change came after the Otago Daily Times last month reported concerns the project - already facing delays and rising costs - might not be completed by its required deadline of September 1 next year.
Mr Turner was quoted saying the deadline was "going to be close", prompting concern from Otago Regional Council staff, who required the project to be completed for consent purposes by September 1.
Mr Turner was not commenting yesterday, referring questions to council solid waste team leader Iain Satterthwaite, who confirmed the change was in response to ODT coverage, which "just didn't seem to convey the right message".
"As far as I'm concerned, the main intent of the consents is to still try and achieve those dates."
Council city environment general manager Tony Avery - a member of the Tahuna project control group - said he did not think Mr Turner's comments were inaccurate, but had created potential difficulties with ORC staff.
"Suddenly, we were dealing with the ORC through the media about something that may or may not eventuate. We actually felt that wasn't a good way of dealing with the issues, or the ORC.
"We shouldn't be telling the consent authority about where we might or might not be in terms of a particular consent like Tahuna through the ODT."
The project control group still aimed to meet the September 1 deadline.
Naming of a successful tenderer for the project was imminent, and the coverage had not been "helpful", he said.
"It's not helpful at all to say there's a whole lot of things that are in the mix that might or might not meet that timeframe.
"What's of value in that, other than it generates more stories for the ODT?"
Council managers would still respond to media questions about the project, and would not "hide" from delays, but the ORC would be told first if the deadline was unable to be met, he said.
