The issue was back before the court this week, with the result there will be yet more hearings before all the issues can be resolved.
A district plan change allowing the harbourside to be redeveloped with apartments, bars and cafes was approved early last year, following a nine-day hearing in 2008.
The plan received heavy criticism from industry, with many businesses saying the proposal could seriously compromise their operations, as those new activities could not successfully coexist with the industry already established through the area.
In April, the council and a group of 20 businesses announced they had come to an agreement on the issue, with the council agreeing to dump much of stage two from the two-stage plan, and businesses agreeing to accept stage one, subject to further negotiation.
Those negotiations have continued since that time, and the parties went before the court this week to present an update on progress.
Cr Weatherall yesterday said the court accepted timetables for further negotiations, and there would be two court appearances, one on December 15 to report further progress, and another in February to deal with issues one party had.
He said the parties were "very close" to final resolution on the matter, which would be to have the plan change in place, with some refinements.
Cr Weatherall hoped that could be completed early next year.
