The Waitaki District Council is consulting the community over the location of the $24million six-court sport and event centre in Oamaru.
The preferred location is Centennial Park, between the grandstand and Taward St. It was one of the highest scoring options, of 18 potential sites identified in a 2017 feasibility study.
Centennial Park is managed by the council as a recreation reserve under the Reserves Act 1977. Due to the proposed change of land use, the council is required to publicly notify it under the Act. Consultation opened last month, and closes at 5pm on Friday.
As of yesterday morning, the council had received 248 submissions — 230 in favour of the Centennial Park location, nine "maybes" and nine against.
Waitaki District Council recreation manager Erik van der Spek said that a hearing for submissions had been set down for October 18.
"We have had a reasonable number of responses, the majority of which are in favour of using the site," Mr van der Spek said.
"With only a week to go, we encourage anyone who has a view on this to have their say, whether in favour or opposed to the use of this site."
A business case for the stadium, presented to the council earlier this month, said there was a "strong desire to establish a sports hub at Centennial Park, where a number of sporting codes are located".
