Both the Dunedin City and Otago Regional Councils have been labelled "scared" of the results of a survey into the public's view on the region's new stadium, after both councils refused to help fund it.
Opposition group Stop the Stadium has vowed to fund the survey - and plans to ask the community for financial help - and its developer said last night it would "definitely" go ahead.
The city council's finance and strategy committee yesterday voted 8-5 not to participate in, or fund the survey, and regional council chairman Stephen Cairns said informal discussions he had with regional councillors had resulted in his decision not to fund it, despite one "abstention".
Both Stop the Stadium president Bev Butler and University of Otago Department of Marketing lecturer Dr John Williams, who with fellow lecturer Ben Wooliscroft is developing the survey, said the councils were scared of what the survey might uncover.
The lecturers began the project after heeding a call for a new survey from Ms Butler, offering their time free of charge, but $7000 was required to carry out the planned poll.
Mayor Peter Chin said at yesterday's meeting there had been "significant reservations" about a draft of the survey that had been produced, a draft committee chairman Cr Richard Walls described as "totally biased".
Cr Dave Cull said even though he disagreed with aspects of the draft, if the council did not get involved, it would appear to the public it was trying to avoid finding out what the community wanted.
"That would not be a very good look," he said.
Cr Butcher said there was no point in going ahead with a survey, as the majority of councillors supported the stadium.
Cr Guest's motion to not participate got majority support, with Crs Guest, Walls, Bill Acklin, John Bezett, Fliss Butcher, Neil Collins, Andrew Noone, and Mr Chin in support, and Crs Cull, Wilson, Paul Hudson, Chris Staynes and Teresa Stevenson opposed.
Dr Williams said last night he would contact Cr Walls and Carisbrook Stadium Trust chief executive Ewan Soper to discuss concerns they had with the survey, which he hoped would be printed later this week.
Ms Butler said her group would discuss funding at a meeting tomorrow.
