Compensation for legal costs and ''strife and stress'' appears to be the main sticking point in resolving a long-running public access dispute over the road into Kidds Bush, next to Lake Hawea.
Land Information New Zealand has offered to cover the Queenstown Lakes District Council's costs to legalise a 2km section of Meads Rd, which crosses Hunter Valley Station (HVS) on its way to Kidds Bush, plus any associated expenses, such as public works compensation.
However, Linz deputy chief executive of Crown property Brian Usherwood said no offer of compensation had been made to HVS leaseholders Taff and Pene Cochrane, who needed to reach a resolution with the QLDC.
At this week's Wanaka Community Board meeting, resident John Wellington produced an email he had obtained under the Official Information Act from Linz chief executive Peter Mersi to QLDC chief executive Adam Feeley.
In the email, dated May 22, 2014, Mr Mersi referred to the Linz offer to cover the costs of legalisation, compensation and fencing the road.
''My question to you is why is council not doing this?'' Mr Wellington asked the community board.
''You should be looking after the public interest. You should be talking to your CEO ...
''He's either being economical with the truth or something odd is going on.''
Public access to Kidds Bush was unhindered until five years ago when HVS began closing the road for a few weeks each year during the spring lambing season.
Last September, QLDC abandoned High Court action against HVS to keep Meads Rd road open to the public at all times.
As an alternative to further litigation, QLDC agreed to periodic short-term closures of sections of the road for stock movement and other farming purposes, provided the road was otherwise kept open to the public and periodic maintenance could be carried out.
QLDC chief executive Adam Feeley told the Otago Daily Times this week recent communications with HVS suggested there was ''no fundamental difficulty'' with the alternative proposal, but the council understood the one sticking point was compensation from Linz to HVS.
''HVS considered that an additional compensatory component could and should be paid to them by Linz.''
The ODT asked for an explanation of the ''compensatory component'', but Mr Feeley had not responded by early evening yesterday.
The Cochranes' Christchurch lawyer Kit Mouat said things ''went off the rails'' when the QLDC took court action against HVS, costing his clients more than $400,000.
''So that's what we say is not fair ... [The Cochranes] should never have been put in the position of having to defend their rights to their pastoral lease.''
As part of the court process, an agreement was reached that Linz would fence the road, but ''not a cent in compensation'' was offered, Mr Mouat confirmed.
''So we're saying now when you sit down and talk compensation, are you going to talk to us about how much it's actually cost us? Not only in terms of money but in terms of strife and stress and all that sort of drama.''
At the community board meeting, chairwoman Rachel Brown said the board had been ''reminding'' Mr Feeley how important the issue was for Wanaka.
''I'd like to get this tidied up as soon as possible,'' Ms Brown said.
The QLDC has maintained Meads Rd since the early 1960s.
