The construction of the largest mussel farm in the country is set to proceed after legal attempts to block Opotiki based Eastern Seafarms Ltd failed.
The project has been struggling through the courts since 2002, and reduced in size by Sanford Ltd's opposition.
Sanford Ltd still have some days left to appeal the High Court Review which appears to have finally cleared the way for the 3800 hectare deep water development to proceed on a site 8.5km from the Opotiki Harbour entrance.

The announcement has been welcomed in the Eastern Bay where Opotiki District Council chief executive officer Vaughan Payne says the staged development is expected to generate 900 jobs by the time it is in full operation.
'This single farm will add 20 per cent in terms of volume that comes from New Zealand aquaculture,” says Vaughan.
'The world demand for food is going to increase 50 per cent over the next 20 years and about 75 per cent in terms of seafood demand. There's a big opportunity there for New Zealand, we are good at growing food.”
The ODC has obtained resource consent to dredge the Waioeka River mouth to 4.5 metres at low water and build shore based infrastructure to service the industry.
Eastern Seafarms Ltd is a consortium including the Whakatohea Maori Trust Board, Sealord Ltd and other investors. The iwi is the main shareholder.
'It's been a long, long time,” says Trust chairman Robert Edwards.
'We've got the judgment to go ahead. I suppose Sanford could come back, but it might only be for costs.”
The Opotiki mussel farm will be in open sea, 40-60 metres deep.
Meanwhile Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley today welcomed final approval from the Ministry of Fisheries for the 1783 hectare Wilson's Bay Interim Aquaculture Management Area in the Firth of Thames.
Phil says the process heralds the final nail in the coffin for the present aquaculture rules and boosts the case for major reform of the Resource Management Act, which will include the rules governing aquaculture.
'I welcome this decision, but with mixed feelings, given the sheer economic paralysis the applicants, and all those in the aquaculture sector, have had to endure under the RMA.
'Consents for the Wilson's Bay area were first applied for in February 2001.
'That's almost nine years of hoops jumped through, and I'm told there will now be more steps required at local authority level before this area will begin producing seafood.”
The government is overhauling the aquaculture regime so more marine farming space can be generated to enable the aquaculture industry to keep growing, says Phil.
The Wilson's Bay area has 520 hectares zoned for shellfish farming, with the remainder being access-ways between marine farm blocks.
'It's great news that the Coromandel marine farming industry now has 520 hectares of new space to expand into. Wilson's Bay is a high-quality marine farming area with ideal growing conditions, so this will be a real shot in the arm for the local industry,” says Phil.