The Green Party has accused Mr Carter, who is Associate Minister of Local Government, of being behind the changes to the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill which the committee is dealing with.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman said the new clauses in the bill would allow Opua boat builder Doug Schmuck private rights to part of a walkway so it could be used as a slipway.
Dr Norman said local residents had opposed allowing the land to be used for a slipway and no one knew the committee was going to insert new clauses into the bill.
But Mr Carter said tonight he did not have anything to do with the committee's decision, which had been made on the basis of a submission from Mr Schmuck.
Mr Carter said the boatyard had used the land for about 80 years until it was put into a reserved category.
He told Radio New Zealand the issue had been festering for at least 20 years and had cost ratepayers and taxpayers about $600,000 in legal costs.
Mr Carter said he had arranged for Mr Schmuck to speak to another select committee four years ago, which was Mr Schmuck's democratic right.
The issue had been referred to the Department of Conservation and then it returned to the committee which was handling the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill.
The legislation still has to go through its remaining stages in Parliament before becoming law.
