More than 17,000 people have signed a petition calling on Christchurch City Council to overturn the decision to reduce the capacity of a multi-use stadium.
The new $473 million facility will have a roof, lots of leg space, and good viewing opportunities - but not everyone is pleased about the pared-back design.
Councillors voted last week to reduce the number of seats in the arena from 30,000 to 25,000 to stop an $88 million budget blow-out.
Rob Hough said he launched his petition because he believes the council made the "wrong" decision.
"It's about doing it once and doing it properly," he says.
"I've got a young family and I want to be able to take them to the All Blacks and sporting events and stuff like concerts when they get older."
Councillor Sara Templeton, who is in favour of the current proposition, says there will still be that option, and there's a lack of information about the decision circulating.
"The reality is we're not going to miss out on concerts or All Blacks games," she says.
She says concert capacity is 36,000, which is the same as Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
And major All Blacks games will still be played at Christchurch's stadium, it's just the stadium will need to pay more in a bid fee.
"Over 30 years, that might add up to $8-10 million, and that's a lot less than the $88 million that it would cost to put in the additional seats," Templeton says.
National Party MP Gerry Brownlee says 25,000 for a city the size of Christchurch seems "ridiculously small".
"It doesn't matter how much you talk about incentive payments, we are out of international sporting competition with a venue that small."
He says without signed agreements from New Zealand Rugby and Canterbury Rugby to promise the games, any talk means nothing.
But this stadium is about more than just rugby.
"The 02 space in London for example is one of the most heavily used event spaces and it's got a capacity of 20,000," Templeton says.
But Brownlee isn't buying it.
"I know from bitter personal experience that when you're on the wrong end of public opinion, you'll say anything to try and get yourself out of trouble," he says.
What most agree on is not delaying the build any further, with construction now due to begin next year.
