Motueka farmer Lester Rowntree applied to the Central Otago District Council for consent to establish and operate an "agridome" and farming tourism enterprise fronting State Highway 6 near the entrance to Cromwell.
The council received five formal submissions on the application - two in support, two neither supportive nor opposed, and one in opposition.
An independent commissioner will consider the application during a hearing at the Golden Gate Lodge in Cromwell from 2pm on March 26.
Under applicant New Zealand Heritage Farm Show and Museum, Mr Rowntree last year gained support in principal for the attraction from the Cromwell Community Board.
He was also granted consent from Minister of Conservation Tim Groser to lease the land.
The community board had indicated it would enter into a lease with Mr Rowntree for part of the Cromwell Racecourse Reserve if consent was granted by the minister, as the 5.5ha site was Crown-derived and vested to the board.
Mr Rowntree's planned development includes the agridome, bullock teams, blade shearing, chaff cutting, horse and wagon teams in action, and a museum of farm machinery.
A heritage farm show would also include demonstrations of cow milking, butter making, ploughing with a horse team, as well as other items of vintage machinery in action.
Deer and tahr would also form part of the display.
Consent was needed to construct, operate, and maintain the farm show and museum, which would include the construction of buildings.
Retail and associated activity within the rural resource area was non-compliant with the council's operative district plan, and consent was also sought for discretionary activities associated with commercial recreation capable of attracting more than 30 vehicle movements a day on public roads.
Proposed signs would also breach conditions of the council's rules for limited sensitivity landscape.
