The proposed move is aimed at preventing heritage from being lost in a city that celebrates historical architecture as a key point of difference from other New Zealand centres.
The Dunedin City Council also proposes to add more than 24,000ha to the schedule of areas of significant biodiversity value and to add 12 trees to a schedule for their protection.
Rule changes to make it easier to build garages in yards are also envisaged.
The series of adjustments are part of a proposed update to the council’s district plan.
The council decided on Tuesday to notify the public of the proposed plan change.
There will be a submissions process and hearings.
Cr Jim O’Malley said the point of the heritage schedule for buildings was mostly about providing protection from demolition.
A staff report said inclusion on the list had both costs and benefits for building owners.
A resource consent was required for some types of work affecting the protected part of the building.
Financial support was available for heritage building owners to help them with repairs and necessary upgrades, the report highlighted.
Crs Lee Vandervis and Carmen Houlahan were worried about the potential for property owners to have their buildings included on the heritage list without their permission.
"I’m all for protecting our heritage buildings as long as it doesn’t impact on basic ownership rights, and I realise that there’s a bit of a balance here," Cr Vandervis said.
"My concern is that when you keep introducing new rules and keep adding new buildings to those rules, that rather than the intended protection of heritage ... people get scared off owning or investing in heritage buildings, because of the compliance costs," he said.
Cr David Benson-Pope warned against trying to have things both ways.
"You can’t tout your city as New Zealand’s leading heritage city ... and not take steps like this," he said.
Cr Benson-Pope referred to a contentious planned redevelopment in Stuart St.
People were surprised a building there did not have formal protection, he said.
"If anyone is affected by a plan change like this, there is an extensive statutory process to protect their rights."
City development manager Anna Johnson said property owners affected by the proposed changes would have an opportunity to state their views.
