An application to subdivide more than 900ha on the eastern shore of the Poolburn reservoir in the hills above the head of the Ida Valley has drawn extensive opposition.
The Central Otago District Council (CODC) received a total of 211 submissions, 208 of them in opposition.
A hearing has been scheduled for November 18 and 19.
Jagdish (Jack) and Jasu Govind, and a group of four other Auckland developers under the name of the SSD Trustee Company Ltd, want to subdivide the property into two lots, one of 425ha and another of 486ha.
The land in question has an outstanding landscape designation.
Two submissions supported the application conditionally and one was neither for nor against.
The announcement that consent was being sought for the subdivision had prompted a meeting of Poolburn residents.
People from outside the region also attended.
Submissions were also encouraged by several sporting groups who listed the application on their websites.
The main concerns were loss of access to the popular fishing and recreational areas and the impact of two houses being built near the edge of the dam, as well as the problems that could arise from vehicles, chemicals from central heating and other construction issues.
The property is within the Rural Resource Area where the subdivision of the land and the erection of buildings are discretionary activities.
The smaller lot contains an existing fisherman's cottage and 3.6km fronts the Poolburn reservoir.
The applicant proposes to dismantle the hut and replace it with a new holiday residence in keeping with the surrounding landscape.
Lot two has no buildings but the applicant is seeking consent to build a second property on that land.
Access to the block is via Dunstan Rd, which is passable only in late spring, summer and autumn.
The first building would have a floor area of 282sq m and a deck area of 324sq m, making a total of 606sq m.
The maximum height would be 6.6m.
The building on lot two would have a floor area of 312sq m.
An extra day has been set aside should the hearing go on for more than two days.
