Mr Hewetson plans to build a house on a shed site on a property on the eastern shores of Lake Wanaka, which has been given a high profile in books and television programmes by his wife, celebrity chef Annabel Langbein.
Society secretary and treasurer Julian Haworth said this week that "the society does not have the resources to appeal, given its involvement in three other court cases".
Those cases are the Parkins Bay golf course appeal; the Damper Bay case, involving the Te Araroa Trail between Waterfall Creek and Glendhu Bay; and the Sharpridge Trust case, involving a building platform.
All three cases involve properties on the western shores of Lake Wanaka.
Mr Haworth said this week the society had about $4500 in the bank and costs could rise to $38,000.
The society had to apply for money from the Ministry for the Environment's Environmental Legal Aid fund for the Sharpridge case, he said.
"Each case costs about $25,000 for expert witnesses and expenses plus around $13,000 of time and expenses donated free by the society. So $38,000 in total."
The Parkins Bay appeal of a consent granted in 2008 is being brought by holiday home owner Denis Thorn, the society and the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust.
Mr Haworth said there was some debate as to whether the Parkins Bay hearing would take place on February 13, as scheduled, "or whether the whole thing could be done by legal submission".
There had been no decision from Mr Thorn or the society on that issue yet, Mr Haworth said.
Parkins Bay Preserve Ltd, a partnership of Glendhu Station landowners Bob and Pam McRae and Queenstown-based golf course designer and developer John Darby, wants to build a $75 million 18-hole championship golf course, a lakeside clubhouse, luxury lodge and accommodation units, and 42 residential homes on land at Parkins Bay on the southwestern shoreline of Lake Wanaka.
In the Sharpridge case, the appellant is the Sharpridge Trust. The Queenstown Lakes District Council is the respondent. The society is involved as a third party.
The trust has been given approval for two building platforms but is seeking three.
The Damper Bay case is on hold.
The developers have applied for a High Court judicial review of track consents issued for the Te Araroa Trail and, among other things, are arguing the track should be realigned.
These issues are being mediated.
One of the resource consent issues is the visibility of six proposed houses from the walking track jointly built by the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Otago Regional Council.
The judicial review has forced independent resource consent commissioner Trevor Shiels to put the resource consent application on hold.
