The session yesterday was the second in a series of information sessions the Otago Regional Council is holding on its proposals for the river and Lakes Wakatipu, Wanaka, Hawea, Dunstan and Roxburgh.
The first session in Queenstown on Wednesday was a dull affair, but nearly 30 members of the Upper Clutha community shared their concerns with the council at yesterday's consultation in Wanaka.
Lake Hawea was a concern for the majority of those attending and many felt Contact Energy, the lake's biggest water user, was exploiting the lake and the community.
Hawea Flat farmer Paul Kane believed the council had missed some of the big issues affecting the community and was instead protecting the interests of the electricity company.
''You've got to be honest with the crowd,'' Mr Kane told Cr Ella Lawton.
''Forget about questions asking us if we like the look of the lakes; the real question is how does the community feel about corporate greed versus community welfare?''
Mr Kane and others attending were disgruntled by the fact the council did not review Contact's resource consent for Lake Hawea when it had the chance to do so earlier in the year.
The council can do so only once every five years.
Earlier this month, a group called the Upper Clutha Farmers Group expressed its concern about the low levels of the lake and the drain it had on the Hawea Flat water supply.
Mr Kane shared that view at yesterday's session.
''Low lake levels have a big effect on the Hawea Irrigation Scheme and a big social effect on the whole Hawea community,'' he said.
''There'll be more duststorms and more weeds.''
Another concerned member of the crowd said there was ''something very wrong'' with the way the Hawea community got its water and believed there was ''going to be a big problem soon''.
Cr Lawton said a lot of great points were raised at the session and the information would be a valuable part of the process.
Council senior policy analyst Tom De Pelsemaeker said the process was not going to be rushed.
He believed it would most likely take five years to come up with a report, but he hoped a water plan change would be notified to the public in two years' time.
