Dunedin businessman Ted Daniels entered yesterday’s Dunedin City Council meeting with some confidence about what was about to happen and he left it pleasantly surprised by the 13-2 margin of the vote.
"It’s a very good outcome," Mr Daniels said.
"It’s good the council had to listen to the public."
Retired Dunedin man Mike Waddell said the journey had turned out well after a poor start.
He now had more confidence in the council.
However, prominent Aurora critic Richard Healey said the public should be wary of any effort by the council to re-frame the proposal as a worthwhile academic exercise.
"It was an attempt to railroad through a sale," he said.
"Councillors read the writing on the wall."
Taxation and business consultant Raewynne Pedofski said she was fairly happy, but some kind of resolution was still needed for debt.
East Taieri businessman Andrew Simms said the fight was about what was best for Dunedin’s young people.
"When viewed from the perspective of future generations, the social and financial reasons to retain Aurora become compelling, which is why the community stood up to the proposal to sell."
Some people had seen selling Aurora as a short-term solution amid long-term systemic problems facing the city, he said.
"The answer to those problems lie in change, not in selling off the foundations of our city laid down by our forebears," Mr Simms said.
"Credit is due to those councillors who listened to the community and changed their position on selling Aurora.
"That is exactly how democracy should work."
Former Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins said it was a positive outcome for the city long term.
He expected there would be efforts to bring "austerity" to the council’s next long-term plan as a result and the community would need to be alert to that, he said.
