Support for a Hundertwasser building in Whangarei has increased with the final vote count in a council referendum.
Hundertwasser supporters elated at referendum results. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
With late and special ballot papers counted, the Hundertwasser project gained another 530 votes - taking its total votes to 14,258.
That puts it well ahead of the other options for the city's old Harbour Board building.
With all votes counted, 8080 people voted to demolish it.
And coming a distant third, just 5609 people preferred the Harbourside museum proposal, put forward by local accountant, Wally Yovich.
The referendum is binding, and Prosper Northland, the Trust backing the Hundertwasser, now has two years to find the $12 million it needs to build it.