Hundreds of residents have shared their thoughts on Southland's new museum and its looming overspend.

In July, Invercargill City Council opted to plough on with Te Unua - Museum of Southland despite the build running millions of dollars over budget.

A series of options were presented to the public for consultation, ranging from $7 million to $13 million of additional council spend.

If the most expensive option was landed on — sticking with the original design — the total cost of the project could balloon to about $87 million.

A total 286 submissions were received by the council as part of its consultation, with 36 percent of respondents choosing the original design as their preferred choice.

A cheaper option to reduce the museum’s digital experience and shave up to $6 million off the maximum overspend was the next preferred option at 29 percent.

But the council also noted that pausing or stopping the project was not provided as an option and had been raised by about 16 percent of submitters.

The journey to a new museum has been a long one for the council and follows the closure of the previous one in 2018 after earthquake safety concerns came to light.

On Tuesday, a group of submitters took the opportunity to share their thoughts with the council at a hearing.

Former councillor Lloyd Esler said it was the contents of the museum that mattered, not the outside appearance.

He believed the digital elements of the museum were an “expensive luxury” which could be pared back, because you didn’t need to leave your house to see something on a screen.

Angella Newell spoke on behalf of both Arts Murihiku and Shakespeare in the Park Charitable Trust. Her message was clear: “just be bold and do it”.

“We need to think about the legacy we’re leaving for the children and the grandchildren and the visitors who come to hear our stories,” Newell said.

Invercargill Youth Council gave their preferred option as the status quo, suggesting the car park could be removed for the purpose of green space.

Despite the status quo emerging as the most popular option in consultation, a ranking system gave the highest combined score to removing Green Star sustainability accreditation and delaying construction of a car park.

By doing that, the council could keep the cost increase down to about $10.6 million.

Te Unua - Museum of Southland is set to open in late 2026.

Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.