The second meeting at the marae continued a relationship between the council and local Maori that has been years in the making, and was one of few council meetings held outside the council chambers.
The meeting voted to recognise the council's relationship with manawhenua (those who exercise customary authority), and to continue work with local runanga on a consultation model that would foster a Maori role in local government decision making.
Under the Local Government Act 2002, councils are required to "consider ways in which they may foster the development of Maori capacity to contribute to their decision-making processes".
A memorandum of understanding between the council and local Maori was signed in 2006 to provide the framework to consult with iwi, and provide those opportunities for Maori.
The meeting was the second to be held at the marae; the first was held in 2003, when Sukhi Turner was mayor.
The agenda for yesterday's meeting covered Maori participation processes, Kai Tahu engagement with the council, and the local runanga's proposal to develop a model to consult all Otago councils.
Otakou runanga chairman Edward Ellison told the meeting Maori were required to deal with the various Otago councils - there are six if the Queenstown Lakes District Council is included - and the way the local government boundaries were set up made it "very difficult" to maintain relationships.
"We are looking for something that binds us in a more regional way," he said.
A report to the meeting from council policy analyst Tami Sargeant said the key aspects of the Otago consultation model were to establish a regional group made up of runanga heads, and the chief executives and/or councillors from the councils.
The group would deliver an annual service plan.
The cost had not been identified, but the Queenstown Lakes District Council contributed about $30,000 to a similar model developed in Southland.
The Dunedin City Council had a $1500 budget for its Maori participation working party and hui.
The meeting voted unanimously to work with the runanga on the model, "subject to clarification of the funding requirement".
Mr Ellison said after the meeting the runanga was keen to have input into the council's long-term plans, so there was a level of communication and dialogue "on a timely basis" on projects in which it had an interest.
Mr Cull said the meeting had resulted in "a positive and constructive day".
"We all felt it was an appropriate action to meet on their turf."
