About 1,800 people gathered at a public meeting in Dunedin on Sunday night that voiced opposition to the city's stadium project.
Several prominent residents outlined their views on the $200 million project, which will be mostly funded through rates.
Former Dunedin mayor Sukhi Turner told the meeting at the Dunedin Town Hall that the stadium was a stupid idea and would be a financial drain on the city for decades.
Natural History New Zealand chief executive Michael Stedman said local councils have been dismissive of residents' real and substantive concerns about the project.
He said the latest public opinion survey on the issue found almost 80% of residents are against the stadium.
A resolution was passed inviting Local Government Minister Rodney Hide to examine council processes in relation to the stadium.
A second resolution called on the council to wait for public submissions to be heard on the draft annual plan in May before a construction contract is signed.
Dunedin mayor Peter Chin did not attend the meeting.
