"That's how it works. If you get consent for a house in a ridiculous place near the top of an outstanding natural feature, that will massively increase the price of a property," Mr Haworth said yesterday of the sale of the Matukituki Trust's 108ha site.
The society was one of several opposers of the trust's plans to build a house on the peninsula, and after 10 years of hearings and mediation, a building platform was eventually granted by the Environment Court in 2010.
It is not known how much the trust spent on obtaining consent, but several sources have told the Otago Daily Times they believed all the applications amounted to at least $1 million.
Mr Haworth, a former accountant, said despite the high cost of the consenting process, the value of the land in 1999, when the trust purchased it, would have been about $1 million, so he estimated the vendor would stand to make a multi-million profit if the asking price was achieved.
The trust's sole beneficiary, Colliers International leasing agent Greg Marler lives in Singapore and could not be contacted yesterday.
Reports of the listing emerged on Sunday but Sotheby's International Realty agent Russell Riddell said yesterday Mr Marler had since instructed him not to comment to the media about the "quiet listing" and had also asked him not to provide any background information about the property.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council's online rating database gives the property a capital value of $3,750,000, down from $4,020,000 in 2008.
Mr Marler retired the land from grazing several years ago.
Mr Marler told the Environment Court in 2005 the property was held in trust for himself and it was his hope the property would be enjoyed by his wider family for many generations.
"It is not an investment property," he said in an Environment Court affidavit.
Originally, he wanted to build a house on a prominent knob on the northern tip of the peninsula but that was rejected after a Queenstown Lakes District Council consent hearing.
In the face of continued opposition from the society, the council and Just One Life Ltd (associated with neighbour John May), the building platform was shifted to a lower site and consequently approved by the court after more hearings and mediation with the parties.
The society did agree a building platform could be allowed but was never happy with the location eventually approved by the court.
Mr Marler told the court in 2009 he remained committed to the entire restoration of the site to mirror Mou Tapu or Mou Wahu islands, which are managed by the Department of Conservation.
"I can confirm that the trust is committed to the vision of restoring [the site]. It is a natural corollary of my desire to locate a home that fits with and preserves the essential characteristics of Roys Peninsula as a legacy for future generations," he said in an affidavit.
Mr Marler's original plans for a predator-proof fence and "mainland island" concept were rejected, but ecological restoration still features strongly among the many stringent consent conditions imposed by the court.
Mr Haworth said yesterday the society always suspected Mr Marler would "flick it on once he got consent, despite his evidence to the contrary".
