The Dunedin City Council yesterday voted unanimously to increase a fund to facilitate redevelopment by $200,000 to $670,000.
The council will also put out for public consultation a proposal to consolidate four heritage funds into one.
The council provides support, grants and rates relief to promote redevelopment of heritage stock.
The most successful outcome has been the warehouse precinct in Vogel St, a subject regularly brought up at the draft 10-year plan hearings as an economic development boon in which a modest amount of ratepayers' money resulted in a big return for the city.
A report from community and planning group manager Nicola Pinfold said the work helped increase the rates gathered from redeveloped buildings.
The buildings provided space for start-up and existing businesses to expand, and were ''a key driver for tourism and local identity''.
The report gave three options, adding $200,000 to bring the fund to $670,000, adding $100,000 or providing no extra funding.
All options recommended consolidating the four funds into one Dunedin Heritage Fund.
Cr David Benson-Pope, who is on the Dunedin heritage fund committee, moved option one, the $200,000 increase.
He said the council had only limited ability to respond to the requests for funding it got.
A fund recipient had told him while council financial help was ''a minuscule part'' of their project, it was one of the key things that made it happen.
But Cr Lee Vandervis, also on the heritage fund committee, said there was ''need for a little caution''.
The success of the fund was unprecedented, considering the small outlay.
But he said the developers took pride in doing projects for themselves, facilitated by the council.
He was not sure an increase would necessarily get a much better result.
A more modest increase in the grant would keep the council in a role of encouraging and facilitating, but not actually doing the work.
If the council substantially financed heritage upgrades, developers might look at the fund as ''a soft touch''.
He preferred option two, a $100,000 rise, although he said he would not be concerned if option one was supported.
Mayor Dave Cull said he expected an increase in requests for funding because of increased earthquake-strengthening rules.
There would be ''large demands and some quite tricky decisions'' in future.
''We might have preserved First Church, but then there's Knox, and then there's the Cathedral, and a number of buildings it would be absolutely tragic to lose.
''I think this increase is very timely.''
