The Otago Regional Council is to hit the road, taking its meetings to other Otago centres at least twice next year.
Councillors were considering a report recommending a six-weekly meeting schedule and that consideration be given to locating some meetings at venues other than Dunedin's council chambers, at yesterday's finance and corporate committee meeting.
Cr Duncan Butcher suggested meetings be held in Balclutha in March and Central Otago in September next year, with North Otago and Queenstown getting visits in 2012.
Cr Louise Croot said, given the new personnel and mayors in the region's territorial local authorities, it would be a good opportunity to improve the council's interaction with them.
"We need to flexible."
Chairman Stephen Woodhead said he agreed "wholeheartedly" with the concept and believed it was absolutely essential to helping those authorities understand issues and to build relationships.
Chief executive Graeme Martin said there was a "real urgency" to increase the "connectiveness" with some groups in Central Otago and a trip there was needed before winter.
Cr Butcher agreed but thought it would be better to separate those issues from those of groups like irrigators.
The committee left the venue for the out-of-town meetings to be organised by staff depending on the issues of the time.
