The Dunedin City Council decided late last year to accept gifting of about 1.17ha of land from the Otago Peninsula Agricultural and Pastoral Society for its intended use as a recreation reserve.
What facilities might end up there, or how the area might best add to or complement the domain, has yet to be determined.
The A&P society's membership had been declining for years, it recognised it no longer had use for the land and the society was set to wind up, a report for the council said.
The sale price was $1 and the council would also need to establish the land's reserve status.
It was noted in the report the land would require attention to bring it up to public open space use standards from its present "horse paddock" condition.
"A potential future use may be for development of a peninsula dog park on part of the land, although this is yet to be fully considered."
The Portobello Domain is owned and run by the council and offers sports fields and a pump track.
The adjoining extra piece is considered to allow a recreational extension to the domain.
Negotiations to transfer ownership of the land to the city council started in 2019.
One matter not quite settled yet is whether freedom camping will be allowed.
The land is part of a prohibited camping area and the sale and purchase agreement was initially clear no camping would be allowed there once the council took over.
The parties then agreed to vary the deed, allowing some discretion to the council.
Their rationale was referenced in the report for councillors.
"The society has been contacted about the discretionary consent provision in the camping control 2015 bylaw, and has confirmed that, for major or special events such as occurred in 2011 with the Rugby World Cup, it
accepts that the land may have value for temporary freedom camping, and the society is satisfied that council will use its discretion appropriately."
