The district council introduced 23 changes to its district plan last year, most aimed at greater protection against development of rural land.
Seven organisations appealed to the Environment Court against one or more of those changes.
The appellants were Pioneer Generation, the Otago Fish and Game Council, Contact Energy, Meridian Energy, New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Solid Energy and Horticulture New Zealand.
Up to 16 other groups or individuals have since joined the appeals as interested parties and a pre-hearing conference on the matter was held before Judge Jon Jackson in Alexandra yesterday.
Among the changes, the council had introduced a three-tier classification of rural landscapes - defining areas as either an "outstanding natural landscape", a "significant amenity landscape" or "other rural landscape".
The features and areas chosen for each category prompted some of the opposition to the plan changes.
Judge Jackson was told a draft consent order had either been signed or was in the process of being signed by all parties concerning the landscape matters, other than those focused solely on the Nevis Valley.
Counsel Andrew Beatson said his client, Meridian, was going to withdraw its appeal over the landscape classifications when the consent order had been issued.
Meridian has recently shelved plans for a wind farm on the Lammermoor Range.
The Environment Court had earlier deemed the range to be an outstanding natural landscape, of national significance.
Counsel for the Otago Fish and Game Council, Maree Baker, said the remaining outstanding issue was the landscape classification of the Nevis Valley.
The river flats were listed in the district plan changes as a "significant amenity landscape", but the rest of the valley was classed as an outstanding landscape.
Fish and Game believed it should all be classified as outstanding landscape.
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has sought recognition in the district plan of the cultural and heritage values of the Nevis.
The Nevis is the subject of another case before the Environment Court - a planned amendment to the water conservation order on the Nevis River, which would prevent the river being dammed or diverted.
Fish and Game sought the amendment and Pioneer objected, because it has plans for hydro-electric development on the riverJudge Jackson said evidence on that case and the remaining Nevis landscape issues raised by district plan change appellants would be heard at the same time in the Environment Court later this year, as there would be some crossover of evidence.
In a separate appeal over the district plan decisions, Solid Energy had asked for recognition of the importance of potential mineral resources.
A legal question has been raised about the scope of its appeal, which will be decided by the court.
Horticulture NZ appealed plan change decisions relating to seasonal worker accommodation and recognition of the rural working production environment and reverse sensitivity.
That appeal has been adjourned for further mediation.
