The Dunedin City Council bought out the leaseholder of the land in 2004 for $333,000, and yesterday began hearings on a management plan for the Mount Watkin scenic reserve.
The area was beautiful and had "incredible views", hearings chairwoman Cr Fliss Butcher said.
Public access had not been promoted since the reserve was bought, but that should change later this year when the management plan was completed, she said.
The draft plan for the area said the reserve covered the southwest face of Mt Watkin, a volcanic peak that had emerged through schist rocks.
Rock outcrops and cliffs were a major feature, including volcanic boulder fields of "national importance".
The plan sought to balance public access against the need to protect the ecological and cultural values of the reserve, and manage plant and animal pests.
The reserve had potential as an educational resource, and the plan made a "particular effort" to promote the involvement of local schools.
Cr Butcher said once the plan was ratified the reserve would be more accessible, and there were long-term plans for walking tracks, and the possibility of developing a wool shed-style building into a hut.
There was a legal road to the gate of the property, but access was "not for the faint-hearted".
There were some tracks already on the reserve, but it was for "tramping, not walking", Cr Butcher said.
The six submissions discussed yesterday mainly supported the plan, with minor changes suggested.
Cr Butcher said the draft plan it would be presented to the community development committee on July 13, before going to a full council meeting.
