University of Otago's plan to install surveillance cameras around central Dunedin could require a public resource consent hearing.
The potential snag for the university's plan, which was announced in May, comes after it initially believed no consent would be required to install the cameras.
The revelation a public hearing could be needed comes as the university seeks feedback from students on its plan before a final decision next month.
Questions remain over whether student feedback could change the university's position after university chief operating officer Stephen Willis yesterday said it would need to be convinced there was another way to ensure students' safety before abandoning the plan.
Dunedin City Council consents manager Alan Worthington confirmed resource consent would be needed for many of the 60 cameras the university planned to install and that a public hearing was possible.
The cameras were permitted in areas zoned ''campus'', but many of the areas covered by the $1.275million project, including parts of George St, Castle St and Dundas St, were in residential 3-zoned areas.
A resource consent was required in those areas because CCTV was not included as a permitted activity in the residential 3 rules of the district plan, Mr Worthington said.
It was also possible a resource consent could be publicly notified and a hearing held, but this would only become apparent after the university lodged a consent.
''A senior planner makes a decision on whether or not a resource consent application should be notified once they have received and considered an application.''
Mr Willis said it was still working with the council on its CCTV proposal.
The university earlier called in student magazine Critic for students to provide feedback on its plan by
August 4.
The university said: ''Over the past few years we have experienced a worrying increase in non-students coming into student areas around campus and crimes occurring.''
This included a spate of at least 12 recent break-ins to flats in the student quarter.
A joint university and Otago University Students' Association working party would consider the feedback and present findings to vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne so she could make a final decision.
