The quarter-share owners of Arrowtown's Coronet Forest have no right to veto any decision on the forest's fate, they were told last week.
Vincent Community Board member Barry Hambleton raised the matter at a recent board meeting after reading an Otago Daily Times story that said the forest might be harvested early, but the Queenstown Lakes District Council was discussing the topic behind closed doors.
The Queenstown Lakes council owns 75% of the 173ha forest and the remaining share is owned by the Central Otago District Council.
‘‘We own a quarter of this so we have an interest and it would be nice to know what's going on,'' Mr Hambleton said.
Central Otago council chief executive Leanne Mash said Queenstown Lakes was trying to determine whether to harvest early and when it had made a decision, her council would be advised.
‘‘There's no opportunity to veto or anything like that,'' she said.
Mr Hambleton asked if the Central Otago share of the forest was originally owned by the Alexandra Borough Council.
Ms Mash said it was and any funds would go back to the Vincent board if the forest was harvested.
