The Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network Trust application to build a 31.4km trail between Bannockburn and the Clyde Dam on the true right of Lake Dunstan was the subject of a hearing in Alexandra yesterday.
Part of the trail is proposed to run along the lakeshore of Cornish Pt, near Cromwell, a few metres from Mrs Adams' and her neighbours' properties.
Mrs Adams told commissioner Gary Rae she recently built a home on her Cornish Pt property and neither she nor her neighbours were consulted by the applicant, despite the proximity of the trail to their homes.
She instead suggested the trail head inland behind her home and connect with an already-formed trail.
''There is an alternative - a better alternative.''
But the applicant's counsel, Phil Page, said the alternative route was not possible.
''The potential inland route would require a resource consent ... which we have not applied for.
''We've nailed our colours to the mast essentially.''
He told Mr Rae all evidence from Mrs Adams and other Cornish Pt landowners should be disregarded, as resource consent was not needed at that location due to the trail being on public land.
The residents' concerns were outside the scope of the application, he said.
The majority of the trail - a 22.9km length - would lie on public land and did not need consent, but the remaining 8.5km would be in an Outstanding Natural Landscape area and would need consent.
Lengthy discussions on potential rockfalls and safety of trail users also featured at yesterday's hearing but the applicants pointed to the Roxburgh Gorge trail as an example of a safe trail being built through similar terrain.
Mr Rae adjourned the hearing and gave the applicants a week to suggest a list of conditions before he came to a decision.
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Comments
Always interesting how the privileged and entitled respond when they perceive activities might impinge on their sense of exclusiveness. Public land is just that, public. Just because a person has chosen to build next to public land doesn't mean that they should then be able to restrict how that land is enjoyed by others. Ms Adams might recall she was part of a Government that promoted the development of cycle trails. To be arguing against one because you don't want one close to where you live/holiday, seems a bit precious.