''It was a very productive meeting, with a very good outcome,'' he told the Otago Daily Times.
That outcome was a request to council staff to redraft the coastal road strategy to take into account and investigate options put forward by Mr Amyes' group.
The future of the coast road, also a popular scenic route, has been under scrutiny for about 14 years and has included two draft coastal road strategies produced by the council, in 2010 and again last year.
Last year's draft strategy proposed closing portions of the road when they were cut by erosion and replacing them by upgrading routes heading inland.
It estimated erosion protection for the most affected 9.5km of about 24km of the road could cost about $2.6 million. Closing parts of the road when cut by erosion and upgrading Bowalley and McLean Rds as alternative routes could cost about $1 million.
However, there was enough opposition in public submissions on the draft that the council did not confirm the strategy. Instead, late last year it set up a community group to investigate options.
The group had a public meeting on February 26, at Kakanui, to outline the strategy, options for keeping the road open and even how some of the costs could be met through volunteer labour or help in kind.
About 130 people at the meeting unanimously voted for the group to explore options for keeping the road open.
Yesterday's meeting was with Waitaki councillors and staff.
Mr Amyes said there was ''rigorous discussion'' and ''robust debate'' but councillors and staff were open to the group's proposals.
''I believe we are making real progress,'' was his feeling about the discussions.
''We put the issues on the table and councillors and staff are now clearer about what those are.''
Council staff would look again at the strategy and redraft it to reflect options discussed.
The draft would then go to the community group for input.
''At that stage we [the group] will decide how to get public input, whether it is another public meeting or some other way,'' Mr Amyes said.
