Depending on the outcome of next month's reconvened public hearing, about 417m of the popular Millennium Track, linking Roys Bay and Glendhu Bay, could be rerouted across a rocky bluff so six proposed houses would be less visible to the public.
Upper Clutha Environmental Society secretary-treasurer Julian Haworth complained in October to the Ombudsman, after the council refused in March and May to provide information from private meetings with the developers.
The society believes rerouting the track sets an unfavourable precedent and could encourage other developers to demand public walking tracks be moved to suit their purposes. It argued a realignment was impractical and unnecessary.
The district council's new track outline plan, released to the Otago Daily Times this week, reveals the realignment may require rock-cutting and pedestrian handrails.
The document states advantages are that the realignment could bring people closer to the lake and it would be less visible from public places.
The existing track is next to a cliff-top boundary fence and would be rehabilitated and closed to the public if the realignment is built. The track is on lakeside recreation reserve.
The disputed portion was built in early 2010 by the Otago Regional Council as part of a $550,000 joint project with the district council.
Damper Bay Estates Ltd complained in February the track undermined its boundary fence and fence posts, was poorly constructed and was not in keeping with landscape classifications.
It sought a High Court judicial review of the track consents, forcing commissioners Trevor Shiels and Leigh Overton to put the development consent application on hold.
Otago Regional Council support services manager Gerard Collings said the regional council was not a party to the realignment agreement between the district council and the developers.
The development hearing resumes on December 5 and may continue for several days.
