The Dunedin City Council is now backing a proposed Otago-wide rural fire district after an assurance the city would retain its own rural firefighting resources.
The proposal involved amalgamating the rural fire districts of Otago's five councils, plus the Department of Conservation, into a single organisation, the Otago Enlarged Rural Fire District (OERFD), starting in July 2014.
The city council had hesitated in becoming involved after councillors expressed concern about a lack of detail and public consultation.
Consultation meetings were held in the past fortnight.
There was unanimous support for the larger rural fire district concept, provided resources remained within their communities, council corporate services group manager Sandy Graham told a meeting of the full council yesterday.
Under the proposal there were no plans to change the rural fire response in those areas, she said.
A letter from Central Otago District Council chief executive Phil Melhopt, who was driving the proposal, presented to the council, said it was ''certainly not the intention'' of the proposed enlarged district to interfere with existing fire response arrangements.
''It is entirely possible, and indeed appropriate, for a future agreement between the DCC and OERFD entity to identify existing arrangements and protect them so they endure.''
Mayor Dave Cull said there was some confusion about the New Zealand Fire Service domestic volunteer service and the separate rural fire service. This proposal only dealt with the rural fire service.
Rural fire officer Graham Still said equipment would be used where it was most needed and returned to its home station.
The council endorsed the proposal and resolved to enter a stakeholder agreement and identify and protect existing stakeholder arrangements.
It approved transition funding of $15,000 and committed funding for three years to the new entity.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council will discuss its involvement at a meeting in Wanaka today.
