The number of public submissions against the proposed watersports building on the Lake Wanaka foreshore outweighs those in favour by more than two to one so far.
Figures provided to the Otago Daily Times by the Queenstown Lakes District Council yesterday show 1039 submissions in total, with 297 in favour and 739 opposed.
Final figures will not be available until Monday.
The Wanaka Watersports Facility Trust is seeking resource consent to erect a 420sq m building on the lake shore near Stoney Creek to provide storage for boats, a gym with 12 rowing machines, toilets and changing rooms.
By yesterday afternoon, 251 submissions were on the council's website.
There was also correspondence from Wanaka Community Board chairwoman Rachel Brown taking issue with a point in the trust's application.
Ms Brown said she was obliged to point out the application ‘‘contains a mis-truth''.
The executive summary, she said, stated the trust ‘‘has approval'' from the community board ‘‘for the building and a lease for part of the reserve for the building''.
‘‘The [board] did not give approval for the building; just for the lease.
‘‘This is important,'' Ms Brown said.
Trust committee chairman Michael Sidey told the ODT yesterday the planner who prepared the application had now corrected the wording.
Among those making submissions in favour of the building was the project's patron Sir Tim Wallis, who considered the site was the safest on the lake because the water was shallow and the area was sheltered and not subject to motorised boat traffic.
Challenge Wanaka organiser Victoria Murray-Orr was also in favour and considered the design ‘‘sympathetic to the local environment''.
Former rower John Charrington pointed out rowers had to cross the road with their equipment and he believed the club was the only one in the country without a waterside facility.
‘‘Approval of this facility should be seen in the broader context of the social good that it would contribute to the community.''
Opponents included the Wanaka Residents' Association.
Chairwoman Sally Battson said the building was not appropriate in an area of outstanding natural landscape.
‘‘While we support the need for the rowers to have boat storage, we consider the scale and mass of the proposed facility to be too substantial for the location.''
Opponent John Welllington described the undeveloped part of the lake as having ‘‘a high community, environmental and visual value''.
Mr Wellington said the site was chosen as a compromise from the preferred site to avoid neighbour objections.
‘‘This best location should be assessed on its merits/landscape effects rather than the desire to avoid neighbour issues.''
Loris King ‘‘vehemently'' opposed the application.
‘‘It is inconceivable that any Wanaka club would choose to target such an iconic area.''
Prof Roger Field opposed the application because of its location and considered it a ‘‘major concern'' 10 mature trees would be felled to make way for it.
‘‘Mature trees take a long time to establish in the harsh environment of Wanaka and to remove 10 trees from the foreshore would be a reckless act.''
And Jody Direen considered the building should go in an area away from the lake.
‘‘Why block such a beautiful view?''
A total of 351 people have indicated they wish to speak at the resource consent hearing.