The council decided to contribute $20,000 towards a feasibility study that will lead to a plan for the future development of the district's sporting facilities.
The council maintains sports fields and reserves throughout the district, but in the past has expressed a wish to see sporting codes consolidate activities into fewer facilities.
That also includes developing Centennial Park - which already has rugby, cricket, athletics, softball, touch rugby and hockey - into a sporting headquarters for the district.
That concept has been supported by the North Otago Rugby Union and Sport Waitaki, who are backing the feasibility study.
The study could also be used to attract outside funding for development projects.
Cr Kircher said the community was demanding the council sort out the sporting facilities it had, and what was needed in the future.
The feasibility study would result in a plan to achieve that and, more importantly, how much it would cost, he said.
Cr Jim Hopkins said that, in a sense, sporting events were a "forgotten area of tourism".
The value of sporting events to the community was underestimated and he said $20,000 on the feasibility study would be money well spent.
