Forrester Gallery director Warwick Smith's answer was that good public art needed to be controlled and monitored by people who were knowledgeable in the area.
The council's community services committee was considering an "art work in outdoor public places policy", prepared by Mr Smith and senior policy adviser Ben Hopkins.
Cr Dennison said the proposed policy should go through public consultation first, which the committee agreed to recommend to the council.
The policy would set criteria for art in outdoor public places, as well as establishing a committee to collect works of art, decide where works should be placed and whether public areas were suitable or unsuitable for art.
"Bad public outdoor art", detracting from the "distinctive Victorian-heritage brand cachet of Oamaru", could be avoided, a committee report said.
But Cr Dennison warned against appointing a "a select committee" to determine what was art without any input from the community.
