While groups opposing various city projects have complained they are not listened to, angry and critical emails may be hampering their campaigns.
Dunedin City Council leaders recently said the public consultation process had become confrontational and was being misused by special-interest groups.
This week, the council decided to make changes to public forums, a move that attracted criticism from Dunedin Ratepayers and Householders Association chairman Syd Adie, who said public input could be reduced.
Cr Fliss Butcher complained at a meeting this week about emails she called "hate mail" she received after voting during council debates, and Otago regional councillor Gretchen Robertson has said her support for the stadium had elicited responses that were "highly personal and at times directed to both me and my family".
Angry and occasionally confronting comments to councillors are a regular feature from some submitters during public consultation, either during annual plan hearings or public forums.
A not uncommon tactic of submitters is to criticise the council, and suggest councillors are incompetent, before giving their view on how issues should be dealt with.
Most councillors spoken to said while they accepted the criticism as part of the political process, some of the emails they received could be confronting, and did not always engender goodwill towards the sender.
Cr Butcher said the council's public forums were "manipulated by people who call us undemocratic during the day, then in the evening send us hate mail".
Councillors had to continually deal with people who told them they were "useless", and were brow-beaten by opponents of various projects, Cr Butcher said.
A small group of people was responsible for most of the hate mail, stadium opponents being one, she said when asked about the comments.
"Most people are pretty good."
But some acted during consultation in such a way that put off others who wanted to get involved.
"That's what annoys me."
Mayor Peter Chin said while such criticism was something that went with the territory, "it is unfortunate that sometimes discussions get very personal".
Asked if it affected councillors' responses to a submitter's suggestions or requests, Mr Chin said the tactic did not necessarily help their cause.
"Sometimes, if there's a fine balance there, the way a submitter approaches things may be a factor."
Mr Chin said councillors sometimes got what they gave.
"Maybe some councillors get more than others. You can get a bit intemperate with what you say - then World War 3 breaks out."
In his experience, large projects, like the stadium and the Dunedin Centre, always attracted a response.
Cr John Bezett said he did not receive what he would call hate mail, but he had received "some unpleasant emails".
Cr Kate Wilson said even though most people knew she did not support the stadium, she still got emails from stadium opponents criticising her performance.
She could understand why people reacted as they did and tried to reply with the necessary information.
Cr Bill Acklin said while people who sent the emails might not help their own cause, he thought councillors listened at all views.
