Association chairman John Scurr referred in his annual report to the controversial "land grab", which has been a hot topic locally, but avoided any direct mention of fence-erecting land claimants Andre Prassinos and lawyer Greg Stewart.
The pair caused a stir in the Cardrona Valley community when they built fences on two separate occasions - in July and last month - around unclaimed land located across the road from the township's historic hotel.
Mr Prassinos and Mr Stewart were present, but would not be drawn on the subject of their actions, during a meeting which lasted more than four hours.
Mr Scurr told the 60-strong crowd gathered in the Cardrona Hall the issue was about the principle that fencing unclaimed land in the area raised. This followed community discussions about how [unclaimed land] should be administered.
Mr Scurr said the community wanted the Queenstown Lakes District Council to administer the unclaimed land and that any benefits derived from the absentee titles be returned to Cardrona Valley residents and ratepayers.
"The absurd move to fence a second section . . . highlighted the complete disrespect of heritage values. On that site was remnants of the last remaining true gold miner's hut," Mr Scurr claimed.
The historic hut had been "unforgivably" swept into a pile of rubbish by the land claimants, he said.
Mr Prassinos and Mr Stewart cleared and fenced off a disused section overgrown with almost 2m-high gorse and broom last month. The land used to belong to Chinese gold miners, who left the area after the gold boom.
The Otago Daily Times approached the pair after the meeting to ask why they did not respond to Mr Scurr during the public session.
The pair said they questioned how the council would administer the land and the Cardrona association was "mistaken if they believe any benefits from the land will automatically return to the community via the council".
The land in question has been referred to the New Zealand Public Trust, which is responsible for administering intestate property and absentee titles of land, on behalf of living descendants of former estate owners.
Mr Prassinos said he did not wish to talk about the land claim at the meeting, because the council had not "been frank and forthcoming with their disclosure to us".
Mr Stewart, a Queenstown lawyer, said the council's rights to the land had been "immediately extinguished" when the title had been referred to the Public Trust.
"It's a fallacy for anyone to think those titles will automatically return to the council. The Public Trust is statutorily obliged to auction that land and the proceeds will be held for the absentee landowners. It will go on the market to the highest bidder."
