A private settlement was reached yesterday between an architect and the council over more than $16,000 owed to the council.
Fred van Brandenburg, of Flax Trust Ltd, objected to Queenstown Lakes District Council charges for processing a 2012 resource consent to subdivide land between Queenstown and Arrowtown into eight rural-residential sections.
Mr van Brandenburg sought a credit of $16,445.13 plus GST for costs incurred.
At the objection hearing before commissioner Denis Nugent yesterday, Mr van Brandenburg said a ''negative planner's report'' recommended the application be rejected and the matter was then taken to a hearing.
Two similar resource consent applications lodged around the same time were approved, without the need for a hearing.
''My objection really then comes down to what it was that brought about a negative planner's report and therefore compelled us to go to a hearing. I don't believe a hearing was necessary.''
Clark Fortune McDonald planning manager Karen Hanson told Mr Nugent the application was processed around the time the QLDC was restructuring.
The report of the planner put in charge of the application, Adonica Giborees, was peer-reviewed before it was issued.
Ms Hanson said she was ''under the impression Adonica was asked to write a negative report'' - something Mr van Brandenburg thought may have been a personal hangover from the protracted Hawthorne subdivision case, which he described as ''fractious''.
However, Ms Giborees disputed that, saying she prepared her report on the Flax Trust application based on information she had at the time.
''Part of that was an expert landscape architect's assessment.
''I'm always a little bit sceptical to go against a landscape architect who has those qualifications, whereas I don't.''
After the evidence was presented, Mr Nugent suggested the parties try to reach a settlement to avoid having to write ''a long report'' and therefore saving the council money.
Following a 30-minute adjournment, the parties advised a private agreement had been reached and, subject to the immediate payment of the agreed amount, the objection would be withdrawn by Flax Trust.
