The Dunedin City Council announced at the start of February it had acquired the maar near Middlemarch from the receivers of a mining firm to preserve it as a scientific and conservation site.
Asked for an update this week, the council said ongoing maintenance costs and future access would be discussed in a staff report to the council "later this year’’.
The council was unable to be more specific, a spokesman said.
Researchers have not been at the site for about four years.
University of Otago palaeontologist Associate Prof Daphne Lee said research had continued using what had been gleaned from the maar in the past.
Researchers looked forward to collecting fresh samples, he said.
"The research team are looking forward to getting back to the site to carry out research as soon as possible,’’ Prof Lee said.
Foulden Maar has been described as a paleontological site of international significance, dating back to a volcanic eruption about 23 million years ago.
Sediment there is rich in fossil flowers, fruits, insects, spiders, pollen and seeds.
The most recent scientific paper, about a "lace bug’’, was published last month.
Plaman Resources bought the site in 2015, but its diatomite mining plans were contentious and opposed by thousands of people who signed a petition.
The firm went into receivership in June 2019.
The council began the process of acquiring the land, about 42ha, under the Public Works Act later that year.
It cost $924,000.
Save Foulden Maar spokesman Shane Loader said the group had not been contacted by the council since the purchase about how the site might best be managed.
The group proposed "a vision that includes a focus on enabling scientific research, avoiding high-impact tourism, and investing in the nearby Middlemarch Museum’’.
Mr Loader felt scientists should be allowed to return "quite quickly’’.
Prof Lee said a good system was established with the mining company and landowners in the past.
Field visits were arranged in advance and were limited to a few a month, weather permitting.
As the new landowner, the council had an obligation to comply with the resource consent for the site, including controlling dust.
When the council decided to give authorisation to its chief executive to buy the site, this was opposed by Cr Lee Vandervis.
Cr Vandervis wrote a blog about Foulden Maar last month, but the council confirmed he was "spoken to’’ about it and subsequently removed it.
