He wants to see the Government pay $1 million of the $2.6 million the Dunedin City Council paid for the land.
Yesterday, he revealed the Minister of Conservation Steve Chadwick advised back in March that her department was unable to assist.
In May, Minister of Finance Michael Cullen was also not prepared to recommend a special grant.
The Government stepping in with alternative funding at that late stage, when the council had already decided to proceed with the purchase, had the potential to set a precedent for dealings between the Government and local authorities on similar issues, Dr Cullen said in a letter to Ms Chadwick.
Mr Benson-Pope said the Government has supported councils buying park land in the past, citing the $3.1 million it paid in 2005 towards buying most of the Waitangirua Farm, a 1098ha block near Wellington, which was previously owned by Landcorp Farming Ltd.
Mr Benson-Pope was seeking money from the new National Community Biodiversity Fund announced in the budget, which allocates $4 million over two years to support restoration projects that protect indigenous biodiversity on public land.
Mr Benson-Pope said criteria for the fund had not yet been set, but he was lodging a "pro forma" application seeking $500,000 for each year of the fund.
Otago conservator Jeff Connell said he had made it clear some time ago there was no local funding to put towards the project.
Land purchases were prioritised nationally and it did not meet the criteria for the Nature Heritage Fund.
"We don't make applications we don't think have any chance of succeeding."
It did not "stack up nationally".
The Otago conservancy had always been supportive of the council's Harbour Cone purchase and had written to the council congratulating them on what was an excellent move for the city.
