The Gore District Council interim chief executive made the comment when speaking to his final cost report of the redevelopment at a Gore District Council meeting last week.
The estimated $7.73 million project finished $24,799.40, or just 0.32%, over budget.
Mr Parry said the public often could not see what the end result of a project would look like and voiced concern.
"It’s very easy for a council to be almost bullied into backing off when projects come up and the cacophony of opposition on the basis of often cost and not value."
While the project was "controversial" in its early stages, as the project progressed people could see its benefits, Mr Parry said.
"I felt myself that the opposition to the project almost diluted commensurate with the passing of the project."
It was important councillors remembered the long-term value of a project "and not just freak out about the cost".
"It’s satisfying that the final cost is a little tick over project budget and ... in a very high inflationary environment where construction costs were literally going through the roof."
More than half the cost of the project came from external funding comprising a $3m grant from the Shovel Ready Fund and a further $958,000 from Mataura Valley Milk Ltd in the form of a financial contribution.
If the project had not gone ahead the council would be faced with what to do with the ageing appearance of the James Cumming Wing next to the redeveloped civic building.
Gore now had a "civic precinct" which "should serve this community for decades to come", he said.
During the discussion Councillor Bronwyn Reid said the community now had a "wonderful resource".
"The fact more than 50% was funded by outside sources reflects on the work of the chief executive and the librarian (Lorraine Weston-Webb) did at the time."
Councillor Paul McPhail, who was initially opposed to the project, said "I’m sorry, I was wrong".
