A group seeking to create a reserve out of earthquake-damaged land along the Christchurch's Avon River says more than 18,500 people have signed a petition supporting the plan.
The Avon-Otakaro Network says the petition is now closed and will be presented to Parliament early in May.
The network believes a river park on red-zoned residential land bordering the Avon could become an ecological and economic asset for the city's east.