Lakes Environmental has received an application from Gibbston Valley Station Ltd to build a resort with extensive vineyard and orchard plantings, a golf course and public amenities, including a network of walking trails.
The proposal would provide "archaeological and ecological protection and enhancement", plus 92 residential and visitor accommodation units.
A landscape architect and engineer from the Queenstown Lakes District Council-controlled organisation were reviewing the application ahead of it being allocated to a planner.
The three officials would conduct a site inspection as part of the consent process.
Gibbston Valley Station managing director Greg Hunt said the development team consulted the Gibbston Community Association on five occasions between June 2007 and February 2008 to discuss initial concept ideas for the site.
Other meetings had been held with council representatives, the Wakatipu Trails Trust, the Queenstown Historical Society, the Department of Conservation and Transit New Zealand.
Two scale models of the development and the preliminary concept plans have been on display in a showroom at Gibbston Valley Wines for the past five months.
"One recurring theme highlighted by the community, which has been taken up by the developers, was the provision of a place for Gibbston locals to meet informally," Mr Hunt said.
"The idea of having a farmers' market and cellar door available for growers in the valley to promote their wine, and a cafe where locals and guests can meet and relax and also get a newspaper or some other daily supplies, was seen as a benefit."
The central vintners' market would be connected with Gibbston Valley Wines and the Gibbston community walk by additional public walkways.
The vintners' market would also include an information centre, which was designed to highlight the site's history and ecology.
Gibbston Valley Station would incorporate more than 16ha of vineyard when it was completed, along with 2.3ha of orchard plantings and 127ha of revegetation.
The area of revegetation would be monitored as part of a conservation management plan.
The proposal included the creation of a nursery, which would cultivate seeds found on the site for the re-establishment of key species.
The station, the community association and the Gibbston Trail Trust were working on a trail for walkers and mountain bikers that would extend for more than 8km along the Kawarau River through the Gibbston Valley.
Mr Hunt said the golf links had been designed by Greg Turner, of Turner Macpherson Golf Design, to accommodate native grasses, stone outcropping and the natural course of the river.
"Earthworks will also be kept to a minimum, with existing topography, rock outcrops and vegetation giving form to the course.
"The buildings at the station will also be designed to reflect and complement the environment they are placed in, with a strong emphasis on incorporating sustainable design solutions and energy conservation," Mr Hunt said.
Buildings would use solar heating, energy-efficient materials and appliances, as well as other alternative energy sources.
The development would take five to 10 years to complete.
