Tempers flared and police were called yesterday when a "peeved off" TrustPower meter reader left his work vehicle blocking the tollgate into Deer Park Heights and walked an 8km round trip to read a meter, after he refused to pay the $20 entrance fee.
The relief TrustPower meter reader, from Central Otago, was at Deer Park Heights to read a Telecom cellphone repeater, one of about 15 masts on 680ha of private park land at Kelvin Heights, near Queenstown.
The usual reader paid the fee and recovered the cost from the company but the relief reader did not have $20 on him, TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches said.
"He . . . called [park manager Max Mains] and asked to put [the fee] on next time and the guy said no.
The guy said he could walk up to read the meter.
"By this point, the reader, faced with the prospect of walking 4km to the meter and 4km back and the unreasonable attitude of the guy he was calling, thought `bugger it'. He hopped out of his vehicle and walked up."
FS Mee Development Company director and park owner Frank Mee said a flat fee had been introduced after technicians copied keys on gate padlocks to pass to their friends.
"This guy refused to put his money in. He rang me up and I said 'don't try anything stupid' and he went on, and on, and on. I hung the phone up."
When Mr Mee and Mr Mains saw the unlocked vehicle blocking the tollgate, they rang TrustPower, which gave them permission to release the handbrake and move it out of the way.
Queenstown police were called at 2.21pm.
Constable Greg Hanckel said it was a civil matter.
Mr Purches said TrustPower read every Telecom meter in New Zealand but Deer Park Heights was the only property that expected the company to pay to do the job.
It was "patently ridiculous".
"He [the meter reader] shouldn't have parked in front of the gate. He went back down to the vehicle and apologised. The next time the meter reader will have $20, if there's not an access agreement."
Mr Mee said the masts were on his land at his pleasure and there were no access agreements.
He was unlikely to pursue a trespass prosecution because the technician had been given permission to walk in, but he "didn't want him back again".
