However, Alan Kirker, co-director of Lakes Marina Projects Ltd, said any celebrations would stay on ice until the statutory appeal period passed with no complications arising.
Lakes Marina Projects Ltd was named in late 2012 as the council's preferred developer for the marina, to be established in the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu.
Other directors of the company are California-based brothers Nassar and Iraj Barabi.
Commissioners Denis Nugent, Martin Ward and David Whitney's decision, dated February 20, said the proposal would provide enhanced public access to Lake Wakatipu - categorised as an Outstanding Natural Landscape - district-wide.
''The public spaces and facilities will enhance access to, and the ability for the public to enjoy, the margin of the lake.
''The proposal will result in a much-needed marina and associated facilities for public and private use [and its development] will provide for, and contribute to, the social, recreational and economic wellbeing of the district.
''The commissioners' conclusion is that the positive effects associated with the proposal will be significant and will outweigh any adverse effects of the proposal, should it proceed.''
Mr Kirker said there was a ''little bit of damage'' in the commissioners' decision - primarily the deletion of nine buildings proposed on pontoons on the surface of the lake, along the front of an esplanade.
While that was disappointing, Mr Kirker was confident ''we can somehow work through that, or live with it''.
''It's been a long, hard road, but we've had a great relationship with the council all the way through, which has been good, and a fantastic relationship with the greater Queenstown community, which is really good,'' he said.
''I think the big grumble was those floating buildings that we've lost, so fingers crossed that's appeased those couple of people that live out of town.''
While Lakes Marina Projects proposed a total of 31 buildings, up to 26 of those on pontoons at the eastern end of the esplanade, the commissioners disagreed.
They found the row of buildings, as proposed, would dominate or detract from public or private views and would ''adversely affect the appreciation of landscape values of the wider landscape''.
''The commissioners consider that the solution is to reduce the number of floating buildings ... to enable view shafts to be provided between blocks of buildings to enable views to look across the marina to Frankton Arm and its surrounds ...
''As a consequence, a total of 17 buildings will be permitted adjacent to the esplanade.''
The buildings would be leased to users of the marina for personal/commercial activities ''genuinely ancillary'' to the marina, to avoid a situation where a ''de facto commercial zone becomes established.''
Another condition was for the applicants to provide $25,000 to the New Zealand Transport Agency to go towards a future upgrade of the intersection of Sugar Lane with State Highway 6 in the ''short to medium term''.
Other conditions would also address the possibility of didymo infestation during construction, with an ongoing need for boat owners to be made aware of the risk and the precautions to stop it, the commissioners said.
Construction work would be permitted between 7.30am and 6pm from Monday to Friday as well as from 8am until noon on Saturdays.
No major construction would occur between December 20 and February 20 to avoid any negative effects compromising recreational and residential amenity during the peak summer period.
In a nutshell
• $10 million, 195-berth marina at Frankton Arm.
• To be built in two stages - stage one: 170m breakwater; 85 berths; 150m retaining wall; jetty and associated features; car park and buildings.
• Stage two: extension of breakwater to 320m; 110 additional berths; further buildings.
• Construction to take place over 10 years - consent expiring five years from date of consent if stage one is not exercised. Stage two will lapse 10 years from the date of consent if not exercised.
• Variety of consents granted by Otago Regional Council and Queenstown Lakes District Council subject to a total of 88 conditions.
