More than 1000 submissions on the $150 million Milford Dart Tunnel had been received by the Department of Conservation (Doc) by noon yesterday, five hours before submissions closed.
They included one from Wellington City councillor Helene Ritchie which likened the Conservation Minister's ability to grant the concession to "an abuse of power".
The final number of submissions will be released by the Department of Conservation today.
Doc spokesman Reuben Williams, of Wellington, said 1041 submissions had been received.
Milford Dart Ltd has plans to build an 11.3km bus-only tunnel linking Routeburn Rd and Hollyford Rd, under sections of Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks.
The Milford Dart proposal has attracted one of the strongest responses from the public in recent times.
Meridian Energy's abandoned Project Hayes project, a wind farm proposed for 92sq km of the Lammermoor Range, with up to 176 wind turbines and at a cost of $2 billion, attracted 1062 submissions.
In 2009, about 3000 submissions were received on a large-scale dairy farm development in the Omarama-Ohau region, while 6160 submissions were received on resource consent applications lodged by Meridian Energy for its Project Aqua power scheme in the lower Waitaki Valley.
In November, Doc agreed in principle to grant consent for the Fiordland bus tunnel, but Milford Dart Ltd first had to gain a concession agreement from the department, along with the appropriate resource consents from the Southland District and Queenstown Lakes District councils.
At the time, Doc Southland conservator Barry Hanson said the department's initial view was that with "appropriate conditions", the impacts of the proposal were acceptable.
The department would take the outcome of public consultation into account before taking a final decision on the concession.
Ms Ritchie, the Wellington City Council's natural environment portfolio leader, forwarded her submission opposing the tunnel to the ODT yesterday.
It said the application "flouts the spirit and intent" of the Conservation Act 1987 and the National Parks Act 1980 and was inconsistent with the Mt Aspiring and Fiordland national parks management plans.
"It is also inconsistent with the status of Fiordland as a World Heritage area and could threaten our country's credibility in this regard.
"It is most concerning that the minister [of Conservation Kate Wilkinson] has such wide-ranging power to grant this on her own ... and that she might further exercise that to grant these concessions.
"I would consider that an abuse of power."
Mr Williams said 49 submissions had been received to date on Riverstone Holdings' proposal to construct a $150 million, 43km monorail from the Mavora River to Milford Rd at Te Anau.
The Fiordland Link Experience would include a catamaran voyage across Lake Wakatipu, an all-terrain vehicle ride on back-country roads and the monorail trip.
A presentation on the proposal will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Queenstown today from 4pm.
Submissions on the proposal close with Doc on March 19.
