At an appeal hearing in the Environment Court in Christchurch on Monday, lawyers for Owen and Eric Hopgood presented their submission to have the line moved further up Mt Alpha to align with their Hawthenden farm boundary.
The brothers have owned the 229ha Hawthenden farm below the Mt Alpha range since 1994.
The outstanding natural landscape line was set during an Environment Court hearing in 2002 and protects the Alpha alluvial fan from development. In 2017 the brothers asked the Queenstown Lakes District council to have the line moved, saying they had been approached by developers.
The commissioners refused to relocate the line, citing the high visibility of the alluvial fan from vantage points around Wanaka.
On Monday, legal counsel for the respondent, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Michael Wakefield argued the line should not be moved because the area had "very high scenic values".
Counsel for the appellant Trevor Shiels QC argued the land had been farmed since 1878, "which has significantly detracted from its naturalness".
The one-day appeal hearing was adjourned with the opportunity for both parties to file closing submissions.
Mr Wakefield said a decision could take several months.
