The Arthurs Point Protection Society is mounting a $100,000 fight in the Environment Court against a helipad.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council granted Totally Tourism consent to operate a helicopter landing pad at Arthurs Point in November 2008 and an appeal was lodged in the Environment Court in January last year by 21 appellants and the Arthurs Point Protection Society.
Society spokesman Chris Streat said it had spent $36,000 so far on the appeal.
Another $40,000 was needed for legal, acoustic, planning and safety consultants for the hearing.
"It may cost less because our legal representative, Dr Kenneth Palmer, who's an associate professor of law at Auckland University, has offered to represent us for no money, but we will try and fundraise for him," Mr Streat said.
The society has appealed to the Arthurs Point community for donations towards the mounting costs.
A date has not yet been set for the hearing, but a procedural pre-conference hearing will be held in Queenstown on Friday.
The helipad resource consent was granted following a hearing before commissioners John Matthews and Leigh Overton.
The application attracted 231 submissions, 132 in support and 91 in opposition.
