The heat appears to have gone out of the contentious Awatea St stadium debate, with a muted response from ratepayers and residents to last night's Dunedin City Council annual plan consultation meeting.
About 25 people turned up to the first of three meetings organised to allow residents to air their views on the council's draft budget for the 2008-09 financial year and beyond - a budget which includes a contribution of up to $91.3 million towards the $188 million stadium near Logan
Park.
While there were a few familiar faces among the audience, most of the vociferous stadium opponents were absent.
As expected, most of the discussion during the two-hour meeting centred on the stadium and on the council's plans to spent $47 million upgrading and extending the Dunedin Town Hall and Dunedin Centre conference facility.
But other topics raised included water conservation, the performance of the council trading companies, how long it would take to repair the railway pedestrian overbridge, and whether the Star Fountain could be replaced in the Octagon.
The meeting was co-chaired by Allied Press managing director Julian Smith and Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie.
Mr Smith said Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin had approached them about leading meetings with "a slightly different format'' in the hope of attracting more participants.
Two further public meetings will be held, at Mosgiel's Coronation Hall at 12.15pm today, and at the St Kilda Community Club, Victoria Rd, next Tuesday at 7pm.
