The Central Otago District Council will partly fund a Central Otago heritage officer but wants results before committing further.
The Central Otago District Council at a meeting in Alexandra this week committed $15,000 in its annual plan towards a part-time Central Otago Heritage Trust heritage co-ordinator.
The trust, whose member organisations include many smaller Central Otago heritage groups, requested $38,000 for the role.
Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust Cavalcade co-ordinator Terry Davis said the role would create "massive'' opportunities for synergy.
"If there was a centralised co-ordinator, we would know what everyone else is doing.''
Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust chairman Martin Anderson said having someone in this role would make securing funding easier.
Central Otago Heritage Trust chairman Graye Shattky said it needed the paid role because the trust's heritage work was done solely by volunteers.
Cr Nigel McKinlay questioned why council should fully fund the position before the trust "knocked on other doors''.
Cr Stu Duncan said it was "vitally important'' to support this role and recommended funding the whole $38,000.
Mayor Tony Lepper said he expected the trust to also find other funding.
The council will make further funding decisions in a year after assessing what progress has been made.
Bodeker Scientific director Greg Bodeker said his company would supply infrastructure for the role free of charge.
This would include a desk, internet and secretarial work.
Heritage New Zealand proposed a similar role, but one that would be employed by council.
The council decided to not fund this role.
Cr Steve Battrick said it seemed the trust was asking for someone with a fair bit of expertise, which would come at a cost.
Heritage New Zealand Otago Southland area manager Jonathan Howard said there would be a cost but the job could be split with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
