Clarification of what can be said in submissions on two Nevis Valley tenure reviews relating to hydro-electrical development has been welcomed by the Otago Fish and Game Council.
The proposals for Ben Nevis and Craigroy, high country Crown leases held by power company Pioneer Generation, were advertised in September.
People have until November 30 to make submissions.
They involve the Crown retaining 11,122ha of mostly high altitude land and the transfer of 7891ha of valley floor land to Pioneer as freehold land.
The council has concerns the proposals will put historic sites and rare native fish and plants at risk as Pioneer Generation had plans for hydro-electric development on the river.
Council chief executive Niall Watson said the public notices for the proposals gave the impression that any submission which discussed the use of hydro-electric development on the Nevis River would be treated as invalid.
The council sought clarification from the assistant commissioner of Crown Lands, Craig Harris.
"The letter explains that it will be individual points in a submission that are outside the scope of the tenure review powers and functions, that will be discarded."
Mr Harris said in the letter the intention of the statement was to make it clear that it was only submissions on the preliminary proposal itself and matters contained in it that would be considered and not submissions relating to the possible broader hydro-electric development.
Mr Watson was concerned other people making a submission would not be aware of the clarification.
