But the agreement - to be spelled out in a new access protocol - comes only after heritage advocates sought assurances Larnach's tomb would not be commercialised or damaged by visitors.
The tomb was built by William Larnach in 1881 as a memorial to his first wife, but also marked his own final resting place.
It was restored in 2011, at a cost of $345,000, after falling into disrepair, but last year become the subject of an access dispute involving the Dunedin City Council and the Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.
Council parks, recreation and aquatics group manager Mick Reece said when contacted yesterday the new protocol would resolve the dispute, and was expected to be signed off within weeks.
The protocol would permit the Southern Heritage Trust, headed by Ann Barsby, to take groups of trust members, heritage advocates and other interested parties through the tomb, Mr Reece said.
That was despite earlier concerns held by some members of the historic cemeteries trust, who worried that could open the door to wider public access, Mr Reece said.
''There was a concern by the other trust that it was being opened up potentially for commercial exploitation and goodness knows what,'' he said.
However, the Southern Heritage Trust was a not-for-profit organisation, and deserved access because of its ''credentials and their guarantees, and I guess their integrity'', he said.
''They're not talking about advertising public tours or anything like that.
''They're talking about members, or visitors, [and] small groups having access, heavily chaperoned, and just basically having the privilege of being able to have a look.''
The historic cemeteries trust had led the public fundraising drive to restore the tomb but the council was ultimately responsible for it, Mr Reece said.
''If somebody stupid in there ... decides to carve bits off as souvenirs, at the end of the day it's council and the ratepayer that's responsible.''
Historic cemeteries trust deputy chairman Dr Chris Rudd said he was comfortable with the way the access issue was being handled by the council.
So, too, was Larnach descendant Charles Crotty, whom the trust had contacted in France, Dr Rudd said.
Mr Crotty was checking with other living descendants before contacting the DCC in the next few days to endorse the approach, Dr Rudd said.
The historic cemeteries trust would continue to monitor the tomb for signs of damage in future, to help ensure ''things don't get out of hand'', he said.
''It's a question of tours that are done responsibly and tastefully. It is a burial site.''
