The council was working through the process of a new water supply bylaw and had originally proposed to have restricted and controlled access for some parts of the Silverpeaks and Silver Stream area.
But yesterday it indicated it would claw back those proposals.
The council acknowledged concerns expressed by trail runners over potential access restrictions arising from the proposed new bylaw and was working to address their worries.
Council Three Waters property and urban development general manager David Ward said in a statement there was no intention to further restrict public access to the popular walking and running trails in the area.
"We acknowledge the new bylaw, as currently drafted, would impact on existing public access arrangements in some areas - as has been highlighted in the submissions process," he said.
"That is not the intent of the bylaw, and staff are now working on a suite of recommended changes - based on the public feedback received - to address the issues raised during the submissions process."
A public hearing on the changes was scheduled for May 22 and a final decision by council would follow on June 24.
"As part of this process, we will also be reopening consultation on access for hunting and trapping provisions - in ‘restricted’ and ‘open’ catchments - for a short period, closing on May 10."
A petition to keep access open for the Silverpeaks went live on Monday and by yesterday afternoon had more than 2200 signatures.
Julia Chamberlain represented New Zealand at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain last year. She has lived in Wānaka, but moved to Dunedin.
The trails of the city were one of the reasons she had moved to the Dunedin, she said.
"There’s a lot of hills and this whole bylaw is going to more or less prevent us accessing the trails ... as we please and when we want, which is disappointing ... To have to get approval every time we want to go out just seems a bit ridiculous."
She would go out twice a week into the hills and said runners did not damage the environment.
"We just want to be able to use the hills and run around. We’re not stomping through the trails, through the river and making a mess.
"I went to Europe last year and you’d go out for a run in the mountains, and the mountain trails that you’d expect no-one to be on is full of people.
"You go for a run in the hills in Dunedin... you might be lucky to see one person."
