Upgrade work to the Waikouaiti Beach Motor Camp was expected to take three months, but stopped in May, after part of an old rubbish pit was uncovered.
Last month, Dunedin City Council parks and recreation manager Heath Ellis told the Otago Daily Times the council was waiting for an archaeological authority from Heritage New Zealand before work could resume, but hoped the camp could reopen before Christmas.
Waikouaiti Community Board member Sonya Billyard doubted this.
With no apparent on-site work and no communication from the council, frustration was mounting among the community’s residents, she said.
"The community are ropeable because there were a lot of permanent residents there that moved out," she said.
"It’s just the uncertainty of when can they go back in."
The camp brought people to town over holidays and long-weekends; its closure was affecting local businesses, Ms Billyard said.
"If there were workman down there and something was happening, you could probably accept that.
"There’s no-one on site.
"So I think it would be very unlikely it would be opened by Christmas from what I’ve seen visually."
Ms Billyard said the community board had asked the council for more information — "but we’re in the dark as well".
Mr Ellis said yesterday, the delays caused by the sudden archaeological discovery, which included an old bottle, were outside of the council’s control.
"Since the discovery, we have followed best practice accidental discovery protocols while liaising with mana whenua and Heritage New Zealand and we’ve endeavoured to keep other parties informed," he said.
At this stage, the council were unable to be more specific about an exact opening date.
