Several local government candidates said they opposed the application, but Otago Regional Council Dunstan ward candidate and sitting Queenstown councillor Alexa Forbes said the application was ''greatly misunderstood''.
Ms Forbes said she had ''to own'' the application, as she was the chairwoman of the Queenstown council's infrastructure committee.
The Queenstown council has applied to the regional council for a 35-year permit to discharge wastewater overflows - including sewage - into lakes, rivers and creeks, or on to land in circumstances where it may enter it. Of the 193 submissions received on the proposal, 190 oppose it.
Ms Forbes said if the application was granted with tighter conditions than at present proposed, and for only 10 years, it would provide time for issues to be addressed.
She said approval to discharge should not be for new plants, only existing ones, and discharges were already occurring.
''And 15 of the last 17 spills have not been investigated. That's your problem, right there.''
Ms Forbes was one of 18 regional council, Central Otago District Council, Central Otago mayoral and Southern District Health Board candidates who took part in the meet-the-candidates session, which was organised by Grey Power Central Otago.
The candidates each gave five-minute presentations and answered questions from the floor, the meeting taking more than two and a-half hours.
Environmental, housing and development issues dominated the session.
Central Otago mayoral candidate Victoria Bonham said her decision to stand was ''not about me - this is about a deep concern for the community and the environment. It's about having different conversations and hearing voices that aren't being heard. It's about environmental urgency.''
Sitting Mayor Tim Cadogan said the past three years had been a ''great time of achievement'' for the Central Otago council, and massive water and town planning projects were under way. He planned to continue pushing for affordable housing and maintain good communication between the council and residents.
Other Dunstan ward regional council candidates wanted more focus on Central Otago issues such as rabbit and wallaby control, and water, and scientific data to back decisions.
