Otago Regional Council environmental monitoring and operations director Scott MacLean said there were a series of interviews of applicants after the council advertised the position last August, ''but we weren't successful in filling the position from the first tranche''.
The purpose of the role was advertised as ensuring navigation safety risks were well controlled for both commercial and recreational users of coastal waters, lakes and harbours in Otago.
The successful applicant would hold a master mariner certificate, or if from a military marine background, have had a major fleet unit command.
Mr MacLean said the skills required were ''unique''.
Apart from significant maritime experience, it was important to find ''someone with really good community and people engagement skills''.
The harbourmaster would have to manage the relationship with the commercial users of harbours and waterways, but also deal with the significant recreational use to which the harbours and other waterways were subject.
That involved dealing with groups and clubs and individuals.
Mr MacLean said in the meantime, harbourmaster services were being provided by suitably qualified consultants.
Those consultants had been working with the port, and also with community boards and yacht clubs, work that had not been done in the past.
That work was to do with both safety issues and ''hearing from the community what their values were, and what was important to them in terms of the use of the harbour and other waterways''.
The results would be critical to shaping policies once the harbourmaster was hired, and give them a feel for how people used the harbour and waterways.
