Council heritage, environment and regulatory group manager Lichelle Guyan this week said drone monitoring of Thames St showed the protected birds were now beginning to gather nesting material atop area businesses.
She changed her recommendation to the council's heritage, environment and regulatory committee - published last week - and rather than ''explore options to establish a natural red-billed gulls' nesting site'', she called for work to begin on a temporary site now.
''What a difference a week makes,'' Mrs Guyan said.
Once nests were formed, business owners would be prohibited under the Wildlife Act from removing them.
A 100sq m site on a steep overgrown section of Cape Wanbrow above the old quarry had been identified as suitable. Boxthorn would be cleared and the council would ''whitewash'' the area to simulate the look of bird droppings at a well-used natural site.
While her recommendation was only for the committee to make a recommendation to the council, after a lengthy discussion around the table with the majority of councillors present, Cr Jeremy Holding called for the decision to be a committee resolution to ensure the work could begin before the breeding season began.
Cr Melanie Tavendale said she feared if the birds were to breed in the town's central business district again this year, the area would become ''more established'' as a breeding site for them.
Cr Bill Kingan said the town needed signage saying not to feed the birds.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said he wanted ''tourist dollars'', or Tourism Waitaki, to take on the project to develop ''habitat for another species'' at the harbour.
In previous years, Thames St businesses have complained about the hundreds of gulls nesting in the retail area.
Last year, up to 900 red-billed gulls nested atop Countdown Oamaru in Thames St, and Doc gave the company the authority under the Wildlife Act to take measures to disturb or prevent birds from nesting on its property at the end of the breeding season in January.
Mrs Guyan said the work was expected to cost $6000 and would be funded by existing budgets.
Her report to the committee states the site has a land status of a local purpose reserve, so the council could make a decision without public consultation.
