The Commissioner of Crown Lands has ruled that tenure review submissions on two Crown-owned pastoral lease properties that mention hydro-electricity generation, would be ruled invalid.
This has angered Fish and Game Otago chief executive Niall Watson, whose organisation has been leading opposition to Pioneer Generation's hydro-electric development on the Nevis River, accusing the commissioner of being "heavy-handed".
"They are being heavy-handed in suggesting they would disqualify submissions that have the words 'hydro-electric' in them."
Pioneer Generation has entered into tenure review to secure freehold title to parts of Ben Nevis and Craigroy Stations so it would be able to build a hydro-electric generation scheme.
It has support from the Department of Conservation.
Mr Watson said the commissioner's ruling appeared to ignore the fact that post tenure review, the landscape would change and threaten significant inherent values.
The Crown was disposing of public-owned land and Mr Watson said the public had an interest and should be able to make submissions on all aspects of the proposal.
The public would not separate the issues of the river, the river bank, the landscape and future use of the valley when making their submissions.
Mr Watson said he would be seeking clarification of the commissioner's powers to limit the scope of submissions.
In a briefing last year to former Lands Minister David Parker, Land Information New Zealand officials said post tenure review use was outside the scope of the Crown Pastoral Lands Act and needed to be considered under the Resource Management Act.
Fish and Game Otago has sought an amendment to the Kawarua River Water Conservation Order to include the Nevis River to stop the damming of what it terms one of the Otago's last great wild rivers.
