Members of Tucker Beach Residents Society appeared at a hearings panel meeting last month to oppose the Middleton Family Trust's plans to rezone a large part of its rural land near Queenstown Hill as a low-density residential area.
The group's submission to the panel, which considered stage 2 of the Queenstown Lakes District Council's proposed district plan (PDP), opposed the proposals on the grounds the development would "degrade" the rural site and put even more pressure on existing infrastructure.
In a statement explaining his decision to strike out the group's submission, panel chairman Denis Nugent said "there is no evidence of a group of people acting with a common purpose" when the submission was first lodged by a group named Tucker Beach Residents.
"On the facts provided I have concluded that `Tucker Beach Residents' is not a legal person as defined by the Act [Resource Management Act].
"It would be an abuse of process to allow a further submission not lodged by a legal person to proceed."
The Tucker Beach Residents (TBR) originally made the submission before the group appeared in front of the panel as an incorporated entity on July 26.
The panel was advised the incorporated society was the successor to TBR, but Mr Nugent concluded there was "no evidence that the society is successor" to the group.
About 30 members of the society, which said it has almost 100 members, reacted with outrage at the hearing last month after the panel would not hear their submission in full due to supporting evidence being filed late.
In a statement the society's spokesman, Ross Healy, said the group was "extremely disappointed" with the latest decision and was "considering all its options, including the possibility of appealing this decision".
He said the society continued to "vehemently oppose any residential development" on the family's rural land and called for the area to be protected from "inappropriate development".
The Middletons sought a section of land located between the Shotover River and Lake Johnson be rezoned to make way for a 209-home development.
They requested the land be rezoned as the "Tucker Beach residential precinct" as part of the PDP.
The society suggested Tucker Beach Rd would need to cope with an additional 9800 vehicle movements a week if the build went ahead.
Shotover Jet also opposed to the family's proposals.
