Green MP Eugenie Sage wants Taranaki Regional Council to stop pursuing costs from a group involved in preventing pollution of the Waitara river and coastline.
The council is seeking $12,000 from the Friends of Waitara after the group wanted independent commissioners to hear resource consent applications about a nearby marine outfall.
The group lost a bid last year to prevent the outfall being used while a new pipeline to New Plymouth is being built.
Ms Sage said it's totally inappropriate the regional council is seeking the costs for the independent commissioners and has written to the council asking it to waive the bill.
But the regional council says the group knew about the costs and it is legally entitled to claim the money.