``What on earth was the National Party doing in April last year allowing that sort of sale in the way they did?'' Winston Peters asked RNZ yesterday.
The Walking Access Commission and the Department of Conservation are seeking an easement through the 6500ha Hunter Valley Station, which is the gateway to the estate, to allow restricted vehicle access to a 40km road which connects to the conservation park and to public roads.
The station, bordering Lake Hawea, is owned by former US TV presenter Matt Lauer.
The lease is owned by Mr Lauer's company, Orange Lakes Ltd, but the Crown owns the land.
Mr Peters said such a deal would not fly with the present Government.
``The reality is they [National] were selling it off to anyone offshore who had enough money to buy it ... in a way that they never should have been and which we will not allow now,'' he said.
``We do not envisage sales like this going on in the future ... I do not envisage selling out this country like the last government did.''
It was unclear, if the easement was granted, whether Mr Lauer would be entitled to compensation, and it was not in the purview or control of the Government, Mr Peters said.
But Mr Lauer's lawyer, Graeme Todd, principal of Walker & Todd Law, in Queenstown, said there had been no issues over access and there was no need for such an easement.
Public access through the station was one of the stipulations of the Overseas Investment Office's approval of the sale, he said.
``The public have exercised such access on numerous occasions since we have purchased,'' Mr Todd said.
``There have just been a few occasions where the access wasn't able to be granted and nobody has raised any concerns that such denial was unreasonable.''
It totalled three or four occasions out of more than 100, and was due to farming activities - such as lambing - or due to safety, he said.
Walking Access Commission chief executive Eric Pyle said this was not its understanding.
The concern was recreational users were being pushed ``further away'', he said.
Land Information New Zealand has defended the record of the station.
Linz crown property deputy chief executive Jerome Sheppard said
the company satisfied, or was working to meet, consent conditions.
This included continuing to permit access to the road.
The company was working ``constructively'' with the Queenstown Lakes District Council on legalising part of the road and provided access for the annual cycle race around the lake, he said.
If the easement is granted, Orange Lakes Ltd will likely take legal action.
Even if it does not, it is entitled to government compensation.
Mr Sheppard said it would be for ``any financial impact''.
While some government departments have estimated the cost at $50,000, Mr Todd said it could be in the ``hundreds of thousands''.
``It will have a significant impact on the property and therefore I would expect that to be reflected with significant compensation.''
Mr Lauer would have never bought the lease with the requirement to give unrestricted rights to pedestrians and cyclists, he said.
A spokesman for the Department of Conservation said it had not received any complaints about access to the station during the past 18 months.
- RNZ/Otago Daily Times
