Waitaki is the only council in Otago not supporting Enviroschools but on October 25 it approved $25,000 to implement the programme when school starts next year - if the programme is ''agreed'' to by the council.
Cr Jim Hopkins successfully added the stipulation that council sign off on the programme given the source of the funding - the council's waste minimisation reserve - was ratepayer money.
''We should be able to say, 'Yep, we like that','' he said.
Deputy Mayor Melanie Tavendale, who chaired the meeting with Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher away, argued against bringing a decision back to council again, saying a request for the Enviroschools programme had been ''brought to us a few times'' already, and questioning whether the council would be able to sign off the programme prior to the start of term 1 next year.
''I do struggle with us meddling in the budget of a nationally agreed upon programme,'' she said.
Council assets group manager Neil Jorgensen this week said he planned to meet Enviroschools regional co-ordinator Robyn Zink later this month ''and we will work out what needs to be supplied to council at its December meeting so it can give the final approval to the programme so it can start in the new year''.
There are 66 Enviroschools in the Otago region, with a total of 14,054 pupils involved. There are 11 schools in the Central Otago district, nine in Clutha, 13 in the Queenstown-Lakes district and 33 in Dunedin.
Waitaki Community Gardens manager Sophia Leon de la Barra has lobbied the council for funding for the programme in two successive annual plan submissions processes. With another facilitator, Bianca MacNeill, she began implementing the garden's parallel Kids Growing programme, teaching gardening, cooking and hands-on science three years ago.
The council has supported Enviroschools in the past.
