Federated Farmers has responded angrily to organisers of a symposium on the future of the Mackenzie Basin.

The Environmental Defence Society and Forest & Bird are leading a meeting to discuss the future of the region, while the Environment Court considers a plan to protect it.

Federated Farmers Vice-President Donald Aubrey says to meet so publicly while a case is still before the courts is disrespectful.

“What has happened is that the Mackenzie District Council have been going through a process that’s generally referred to as Plan Change 13.

"That has been appealed to the Environment Court, so the symposium will be touching on a number of issues that are in fact before Judge Jackson.”

Mr Aubrey says he was dismayed to discover he was billed as a keynote speaker for the symposium without his knowledge.

“I don’t want to sound petty on these matters, but to me the way in which Mr Taylor put together an agenda and pushed this symposium, I didn’t think that that was a fair reflection of what he was doing…and so I felt pushed rather than invited.”

Environmental Defence Society Chairman Gary Taylor says he’s outraged by the Feds stance.

He says the ‘abusive’ nature of their response isn’t helpful.

“It was abusive I thought. And quite inappropriate to use that tone."

"We’re trying to engage constructively with all stakeholders, and to have Federated Farmers come out with that kind of abusive language is just unhelpful."

Mr Taylor says waiting for the Environment Court ruling before holding a symposium isn’t practical.

"Yes, there are court proceedings related to the MacKenzie District plans, but the MacKenzie Country is never going to be a litigation-free zone.

"So if you adopted that approach, you’d never be able to have a constructive symposium about the long-term future of the region.

"We’re not going to be talking about that court case anyway.”

The Feds are looking at chairing a separate symposium early next year, after the Environment Court has returned its decision.