Eighty-one submissions have now been received on Highlands Motorsport Park's bid for new resource consents, and three-quarters are in support.
Submissions closed on September 24 and a summary is still being prepared.
Late ones were still being received so the final total might change, Central Otago District Council planning team leader Mat Bell said yesterday.
So far, 61 supported the application, 17 were opposed and three were neutral.
The park owner, the Cromwell Motorsport Park Trust Ltd, has applied to the council for replacement land use consents to operate and maintain a motorsport park and to operate retail activity and commercial activity that breaches the district plan standards on visual effects, noise, storage, parking, signs, earthworks and noxious effects.
In its application, the trust said the new consents were ''to overcome ambiguity and uncertainty'' in the existing consent conditions and to address ongoing issues with neighbours over the noise generated by track activities.
Council planning and environment manager Louise van der Voort said an independent commissioner would hear the application on October 27 and 28.
The original application for the motorsport park was heard by a commissioner, as the council had sold the park land to the park developers.
''Whilst council now has no interest in the land, an independent commissioner will be engaged to avoid any perceived conflict of interest,'' she said.
Following an Environment Court decision, the park opened in April 2013 and there had been several variations to conditions during the construction of the facility.
After two years, the venture had evolved and it was timely to reapply for consent to more closely align the conditions with park activities and ''address unanticipated difficulties with the existing consent'', the application said.
''Today, the success of the park is unparalleled in New Zealand due to its focus on the provision of a comprehensive tourist destination. Competitive motor racing forms an integral but small part of the overall facility.''
It said there had been difficulties in interpreting the conditions and definitions relating to racing and race days, causing uncertainty for the applicant and the council in exercising and enforcing the existing consent.
Under the existing consents, the park is limited to 16 race days in any racing season.
A new suite of conditions focusing on the noise levels generated by track activities has been proposed by the applicant under the proposed resource consent.
Conditions would include a noise management plan, regularly reviewed to allow for improvements in noise measurement and mitigation.
