Two weeks have been set aside next month to hear submissions on one of the largest private plan changes in Wanaka.
If approved, Plan Change 45 Northlake Special Zone would allow for the development of up to 1600 residential lots on 222ha of land on the north side of Aubrey Rd, towards the Clutha River.
The applicant for the proposal - which involves several landowners - is Sydney-based Michaela Ward Meehan, who owns the majority of the land subject to the plan change.
The proposal attracted 125 submissions, most in opposition.
Queenstown Lakes District Council district plan administrator Ruth Joiner said while 10 working days had been set aside for the hearing, it was unlikely all that time would be required.
However, given the ''relatively high'' number of submissions, it was important to allow enough time for those people to speak at the hearing, if they wished.
Submitters had until today to advise if they wanted to speak. So far, just four people had indicated they would.
Private plan changes also typically required the applicant to present a large amount of evidence at the beginning of a hearing ''to go through that justification'', unlike a council-initiated plan change, Ms Joiner said.
The plan change area is zoned partly rural general and partly rural residential.
Under the plan change it would become a special zone that would enable a range of residential lot sizes and housing choice, from medium to low density and larger residential lots, plus a neighbourhood commercial component.
The request provides for an average housing density of seven dwellings per hectare. About 1600 residential lots is the maximum development possible for the zone.
