About 100 residents gathered near Lake Hayes last night breathed a tentative sigh of relief when they heard Delta had, temporarily, backed down on its plan to fell 29 mature trees planted along Ladies Mile.
The trees are encroaching on overhead power lines which supply electricity to 2600 customers in Arrowtown, Lower Shotover and Lake Hayes Estate.
Delta planned to fell them on Tuesday, but a community outcry led to a short stay of execution.
On Wednesday, the Queenstown Lakes District Council established a Givealittle crowd-funding page to raise money to cover the cost of trimming the trees until a solution could be found, which Mayor Vanessa van Uden started with a donation of $100.
However, following Delta's decision to trim the trees this autumn - described by the company as a ‘‘temporary, one-off measure'' - that page was removed.
The trees will not need to be trimmed again until spring, giving the community more time to work on a long-term solution for the twice-annual trimming, which would cost about $9000 a year.
At last night's meeting it was announced a committee would be formed to lead the future fight to save the trees, and people were encouraged to make submissions to the council's annual plan seeking funding to be set aside to maintain the trees.
Meeting organiser Maggie Hillock said if the council reclassified the trees - and similar, younger trees planted between Howards Dr and the Shotover Country roundabout - as ‘‘vegetation of significance'', Delta would ‘‘have to look at them quite differently''.
The ideal outcome was for the power lines to be put underground, which came with a price tag of about $1million.
‘‘In my opinion ... $1million is not an awful lot to bury power lines when you look at the bigger scheme of things in this district,'' she said.
‘‘I think Aurora [the electricity distribution company] can step up and pay for it,'' she said.
In a statement yesterday afternoon Delta Asset Management general manager Derek Todd said the company had been discussing options with the council since last year.
Delta announced the felling publicly on January 27.
The trees were planted by the late Bill Walker, who was killed in a gliding crash in Namibia in 2014.
His family had since relinquished its interest in the trees and neither the council nor Delta was in a position to take over the maintenance due to costs and the precedent it would set.
However, last night resident Alan Brady said legal opinions were being sought about whose was responsible for the trees.
Initial information, still to be clarified, indicated if the trees were planted before the power lines were installed, that absolved the landowner from maintenance.
Mr Brady told the Otago Daily Times he hoped the matter could be dealt with without the need for a formal legal process. If not, it would probably go to the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission.
Ms van Uden, who did not attend last night's meeting, said she welcomed the decision which acknowledged the community's affection for the trees.
‘‘We have to remember that if the trees and the overhead lines remain where they are, there will always be an annual cost to keep the trees trimmed to secure the power supply. ‘‘Some entity has to pay for this and take responsibility for the trees.
‘‘Any option involving ratepayer funding will need to be considered as part of next month's draft annual plan consultation process,'' she said.
