A long-running dispute between two recreational groups over reserve land in Waikouaiti is still unresolved, and the Dunedin City Council will decide who gets to use it.
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board chairman Gerard Collings said negotiations for shared use between the Waikouaiti Golf Club and the Highcliff Trust, an equestrian group, had again broken down this week.
Mr Collings is the second Waikouaiti Coast chairman to try to broker an agreement, with previous chairman Alasdair Morrison attempting to do so last year.
Although both groups had reservations about sharing the 18ha block in the Waikouaiti recreation reserve, the golf club categorically rejected that option, Mr Collings said.
For about 20 months, the groups have differed over the block which the golf club is permitted to lease out for grazing.
The Highcliff Trust wants to develop an equestrian event course to host top equestrian events because Dunedin lacked a facility.
However, the golfers wanted to use it to expand their course from nine to 18 holes. Waikouaiti Golf Club president Richard Russell said the matter was now in the "lap of the gods" and the club awaited the council's decision.
The Waikouaiti Clay Target Club also leased part of the reserve and having the three groups on the reserve would never work, Mr Russell said.
Highcliff Trust president Gary Cole said the issue seemed to be at "old square one again".
Mr Collings was disappointed the matter had not been settled to satisfy the parties.
Council staff would make a recommendation to next month's community development committee, he said.
The community board would be able to comment on the staff recommendation but did not have authority to make a decision, Mr Collings said.
