Cr Cull - speaking at a recent community development committee meeting - said the council had responded to public concerns about plans to subdivide the block and build housing at the end of Bacon St.
The council bought the 328ha property for $2.6 million in early 2008, and planned to run the majority of the block in public ownership as a sustainable working farm.
However, it had proposed to subdivide part of the property, including at the end of Bacon St, and develop housing to offset the cost of buying it.
However, submitters at council annual plan hearings earlier this year urged the council to reconsider its plans.
Some were worried the Bacon St housing could be detrimental to the future use of the rest of the property.
The pleas prompted the hearings committee to ask the Harbour Cone Steering Group - headed by Cr Cull - to reconsider its plans.
Cr Cull told the recent community development committee meeting the issue had been reconsidered, but the group was still recommend-ing plans to subdivide the Bacon St area be retained.
However, a final decision on subdividing the area should be put on the "back burner" and not made until after an overall management plan for the property was completed.
That would allow more time for councillors to consider whether the housing proposal fitted with the rest of the council's plans, "because we acknowledge we have reservations about it anyway", Cr Cull said.
"We have, in a sense, put the Bacon St cluster on the back burner in the meantime."
A report to the committee by council senior planner (policy) Debbie Hogan also noted a revised study had found the cost of preparing the site for homes showed significant investment would be needed for "possibly minimal returns".
Councillors voted to accept the revised plan for Harbour Cone, which would require approval at the next full council meeting on September 27.
