Wanaka property developer Allan Dippie has been given two years in which to make ''substantial progress'' on the subdivision of his newly acquired Luggate Park property.
Mr Dippie had applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council for a five year extension of two resource consents, due to expire by September, allowing subdivision of 50ha of land at Luggate into 160 residential sections.
Council planners noted the district plan was being reviewed and a five year extension meant there would be ''potential for conflict'' with any changes to the plan.
They considered two years was an ''acceptable'' time frame.
The extension gives Mr Dippie's company, Willowridge Developments Ltd, consents until September 2017.
Mr Dippie told the Otago Daily Times from Perth yesterday he would rather have had five years but two years ''would be workable, I'm sure''.
The developer bought Luggate Park from Auckland based development company Dentils Ltd, which had been unsuccessful in selling sections in the newer part.
Although Willowridge now owned the property and had ''good consents'', Mr Dippie said he needed to do more due diligence to ensure the subdivision project was ''actually viable''.
''There hasn't been a lot of demand for affordable housing lately.
''But, we are picking, in the future that will pick up.
