Scott Weatherall is calling for the Dunedin City Council to reconsider Smooth Hill as the location for a new landfill, as candidates on community boards had the chance to have their say at the pre-draft annual plan hearings yesterday.

Issues raised by candidates included roading maintenance, public transport and tourism.

Mr Weatherall, the Saddle Hill community board chairman, said Smooth Hill did not make sense as a landfill because of nearby locations such as Dunedin Airport and Brighton Beach.

"We undertook consultation on behalf of the community. There are some clear and obvious questions regarding Smooth Hill."

The risk to Brighton Beach and native falcons in the area needed to be considered, he said.

He said while the site had been identified as a possible landfill location 30 years ago, "it doesn’t make sense 30 years on".

"We ask the council to consider other options."

Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope called for better investment in tourism on the peninsula.

He said the Otago Peninsula Track network was "world class" and had potential, but had not been maintained.

"The network is there but we need a marketable brand and marketable type of signage."

Councillors acknowledged the peninsula was an important part of Dunedin tourism and more research on tourism there would be useful.

Strath Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Williams thanked the council for rebuilding the old vehicle bridge near Sutton, after the previous structure collapsed during a flood in 2017.

He also wanted council support in opposing Dunedin Railways’ plan to cut its regular service to Middlemarch, which had come as "a bolt out of the blue".

The initial lack of consultation over the change had been "disgraceful", and he expected a good crowd at a public meeting to discuss the change scheduled for February 27.

Waikouaiti Coast Community Board chairman Alasdair Morrison wanted a better bus service, but also an improved water supply, capable of coping with firefighting demands.

The need for that was highlighted this month when a hedge fire in Warrington destroyed a shed and damaged one house, while others were spared only because firefighters were able to use water from a school swimming pool.

The council had budgeted $80,000 to install new water tanks in Waitati and Warrington but not until next year, and Mr Morrison wanted that brought forward.

Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairwoman Joy Davis said her board was yet to formally consider its priorities for 2020, but progress on the new Mosgiel pool and the safety of pedestrians mixing with increasing heavy traffic using Gordon Rd were two obvious areas of interest.