A four-letter word in a document has alarmed Central Otago district councillors, council staff and its planning consultant.
At its meeting this week, the district council heard from Otago Regional Council staff and councillors about the draft regional policy statement.
The document affects what people can and cannot do when using natural resources, subdividing or developing land, or undertaking a land use activity.
Under the law, all councils' district plans have to ''give effect to '' the regional policy statement.
Wording in the draft document alarmed Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper, Cr Nigel McKinlay, council planning and environment manager Louise van der Voort and council planning consultant David Whitney.
All were concerned the word ''may'' in the original document had changed into ''will'' in the draft document.
Mr Whitney said the word ''will'' featured ''prominently'' and implied it was mandatory for the district council to revisit several sections of its district plan.
''As I read this ... it's mandatory for the district council to revisit the landscape issue, for example; it says we will have to do it.''
That would have significant cost implications, he said.
Regional council policy planning and resource management director Fraser McRae said it was important to find a consistent methodology acceptable to everyone.
Ms van der Voort asked if the district council would have to introduce new criteria for assessing landscapes ''or can we say we're happy with this [the criteria it has]''.
Mr Lepper said there would have to be a discussion about ''will and what does that mean''.
One section of the statement said councils had to fully involve tangata whenua in decision-making.
''Have you got any idea what that looks like, in case I have to set up a separate committee?''
Mr Lepper said the council had already made six or seven decisions in the morning session of this week's council meeting: ''Would we have to have involved tangata whenua in all those?''
Deputy mayor Cr Neil Gillespie said the regional policy statement had, by default, written a section of the district plan for the district council.
He was worried what the policy would end up costing the district council.
The Central Otago council will be making a submission on the document.
