The Canterbury quake community forum is due to be announced on Saturday.
The forum, promised by the Earthquake Recovery Minister, is designed to give local people a say on the strategy for rebuilding.
A total of 250 people applied to be on the forum, but one badly quake-hit suburb that will not be represented is Heathcote.
The chair of its community association, Creag McCulloch, says he suspects his application was rejected because he asks authorities too many questions.
Mr McCulloch hopes the forum will direct focus back on the suburbs, and not the inner city.
