Rodney District Council is proceeding with a proposal to change the district plan so developers can build on a 90-hectare farmland block in rural Huapai.
The council predicts population in the area will almost triple over the next 11 years and wants 1100 new houses to be built.
Strategy and Planning Manager Warren MacLennan says part of the planning process will be to make sure the area retains its character.
He says development could start within two years if the plan is approved.
