An updated Coronet Forest Management Plan, which will be subject to a special consultative process, will be produced before any decision is made to harvest the existing forest early.
Last week the Queenstown Lakes District Council agreed to the recommendation on the future of the forest, after community feedback.
While that feedback indicated 85% of respondents were in favour of an early harvest of the forest, primarily on the basis of wilding control, Cr Scott Stevens believed there was a "considerable financial risk'' in harvesting early.
"There's a loss of earnings from fully mature trees and, potentially, the loss-making of the actual harvest operation itself.''
Cr Stevens said the forest was not the only wilding seed source in the Wakatipu and an early harvest would not be a "silver bullet''.
"I think we can all agree it was wrong to plant the forest in that location in the first place and it would also be wrong to harvest it early.
"Two wrongs don't make a right.''
He also questioned strategic projects and support manager Paul Speedy on how the recommended option - harvest early and update the forest plan - could have "no disadvantages''.
However, Mr Speedy said the next step in the process required the special consultative procedure, which would be consulted on, and any concerns could be addressed as part of that.
"This is really just a stake in the ground saying the council recognises there's a wilding problem ... and they support the idea of going out and producing a plan that suggests we'll harvest it early ... and there's a process to go through.''
The report, essentially, acknowledged there was a wilding problem and indicated the council was looking to fell the forest but was still open to how that was done and revegetation options.
Mayor Vanessa van Uden said the option of doing nothing was still on the table.
"You [councillors] and the community will have another chance ... to relitigate this.
"The option of saying `no' and not including a budget is still an option.
"You have not given away the option to do nothing.''
