Kaikoura residents have rejected Canterbury District Health Board's suggestion that a new hospital could be built near the town's old landfill.
The DHB is considering new sites for an integrated health facility, as plans to rebuild on the existing site while maintaining services are considered too costly.
At a feisty meeting on Monday night, some residents told the DHB the old landfill site is not an option.
But others say the community needs to be open-minded, or it may miss out on a new facility.
The DHB says Kaikoura's 100-year-old hospital needs to be replaced.
Rebuilding on the existing site would cost $8 million more than the $10 million budget, but a new hospital could be built on the old landfill site for $11 million.
Some locals fear gases from the landfill would create a health hazard while others say they have faith in the DHB to select the best site.
