Last week the Mackenzie District Council announced Environment Court proceedings related to land use in the Mackenzie Basin were almost finished.
Council planning and regulations manager Suzette van Aswegen said the 12th decision related to plan change 13 clarified matters over environmental aspects, including scenic grassland boundaries, pastoral intensification and ecological aspects of the landscape, which had been legally challenged.
The matter was, however, still alive in the courts as the remaining appellant, The Wolds Station Ltd, had not withdrawn its challenge, Ms van Aswegen said.
The outstanding matters before the courts related to farm base areas and the hydro-electricity inundation hazard package, and she expected those issues to be settled by the Environment Court over the next three months, she said.
She strongly believed the latest decision met what The Wolds Station Ltd sought.
``They can now perhaps withdraw it because they got what they wanted.
``It's up to them if they want to withdraw from the High Court.
``Everything they're worried about had been cleared up in the 12th decision.
``It's one step closer. It's very, very close.''
Earlier this year Mackenzie Mayor Graham Smith said the legal battle had cost the council more than $1million and the plan battles were a ``gravy train'' for solicitors.
When contacted this week, station director John Murray declined to comment on whether he would withdraw from court or what he thought of the latest decision.
