The Otago Regional Council has commissioned an external review of its overall harbour management responsibilities.
And the council's draft 2016-17 annual plan "provides for a dedicated harbourmaster position'', a recent council report notes.
The report, by council corporate services director Nick Donnelly, was tabled at a recent meeting of the council's finance and corporate committee.
This report said the council had "some responsibilities'' for harbour management and the harbourmaster post was expected to be filled halfway through the year.
The cost of the harbourmaster would be funded half from regional council ratepayers within Dunedin city, and half from the wider region.
"This recognises that the harbourmaster's role and responsibilities will be wider than just for the Otago Harbour,'' the report said.
Ms Garey this week welcomed the proposal, which is subject to overall community consultation.
She praised council chief executive Peter Bodeker for the council's "leadership'' on the issue, and said the board would make a further submission, backing the move.
The community board had long made previous unsuccessful submissions on this issue, she said.
Ms Garey said she and community board member Lox Kellas had also had a constructive meeting with Port Otago Ltd representatives late last year which had opened up positive lines of communication over some of the board's harbour amenity concerns.
She also praised an earlier move by the council to establish an environmental enhancement fund.
This will offer grants to support community initiatives aimed at "maintaining or enhancing areas of our natural environment'' that were important to the community, the report says.
She supported moves, flagged in the council report, to develop a "biodiversity strategy''.
The harbour was vital for many Peninsula residents,and more support was needed to maintain and improve "very important'' Peninsula-linked activities, such as the safe use of small boats.
Having a dedicated harbourmaster would help boost safety and would also improve overall communication on other significant issues, she said.
