More than 11,000 submissions have been received in the first four days of consultation on the future of a stadium planned for Christchurch.
Photo: Supplied
Projected costs for Te Kaha stadium have ballooned by $150 million, taking the full price to $683m.
Christchurch City Council said two weeks ago rising supply and labour costs were to blame for the price hike, but were themselves shocked by the budget blowout.
The council is consulting on whether the extra money should be spent, or the project should be paused and reevaluated, or whether it should be scrapped altogether.
So far 11,300 submissions had been made as of this afternoon, and Christchurch councillor Sara Templeton said she expected that number to steadily rise in coming weeks.
"I think there's going to be a lot of engagement over the three weeks and I'm expecting a record-breaking number of submissions."
Templeton said she was encouraged by the public's strong initial engagement and thought councillors would need to keep open minds as they received submissions.
"The community often tell us there's no point in submitting because we've already made up our minds," she said.
"The various lobbying coming from external groups is great, because everyone's got a stake in this."
Residents appeared to be divided on the issue, with some expressing concern for the price, and others pushing for a quick build before costs rise more, she said.
Resident Campbell McClimont has been attending sports games at Orangetheory Stadium in Addington for years with the hope soon Te Kaha would be completed.
Yesterday's wet Crusaders match was a reminder of what he was missing.
"Another rainy, cold game taking the kids along when we could've been inside a nice stadium, sheltered from all the elements," he said.
More delays and the chance it could be scrapped completely were a disappointment for McClimont.
"If they hadn't be sitting on their hands for as long as they have then we'd already be in there, and it wouldn't even be a conversation."
About $40 million has already been spent on the project, with site preparation currently underway.
Canterbury Rugby is actively encouraging people to make submissions in support of a budget increase.
"Te Kaha will bring cultural and economic life back to the heart of our city and influence the Canterbury economy and the livelihood of our citizens for many decades to come," they said in a statement.
"The longer we wait, the more expensive this multi use arena will become."
Consultation is open for three more weeks, closing on 5 July.