While two new sheds, a new garage and rearrangements in the use of existing buildings were the main part of a resource consent application presented by Hewetson Langbein Nominees Ltd to a hearing in Wanaka yesterday, it was the property's garden that emerged as the issue.
The property is in an outstanding natural landscape and Queenstown Lakes District Council planner Nigel Bryce considered the presence of the buildings on a property where there had already been extensive planting of exotic trees, lawns and hedges, would make it overly domesticated.
However, he told the hearing he would probably support the buildings proposed in the application if about 3ha of exotic garden on the higher part of the site was allowed to revert to native vegetation.
He supported council landscape architect Dr Marion Read's recommendation the property owners remove all exotic amenity trees, hedges and fruit, nut and seed trees not listed in a 2011 consent.
They would need to be replaced by about 300 mountain beech, kanuka, kowhai, cabbage trees and other species.
The fruit trees could be replanted on the lower part of the site.
Dr Read said the "fundamental issue'' was the domestication of an outstanding natural landscape.
Commissioners Bob Nixon and Jane Taylor sought clarification about what constituted domestication of a rural landscape.
And Mr Nixon noted that but for the conditions of the 2011 consent, the applicants could have sown their property in pasture for cattle or planted a commercial olive grove.
Lawyer for the applicant Graeme Todd argued the applicants should not have to "rip out'' their orchard and the trees should be able to remain where they were because they represented a rural activity that supported a consented commercial activity.
The property is used for filming Ms Langbein's television cooking programmes, which screen in 90 countries.
The hearing was adjourned for the commissioners to consider their decision.
