A cowboy property developer who repeatedly broke the law has been sentenced to two years in jail - the harshest penalty ever handed to a developer.

Auckland man Augustine Lau faced 17 charges under the Resource Management and 10 under the Building Act.

He repeatedly carried out work without resource consent, undertook earthworks without permission, while one of his dodgy developments saw sewage discharged near a stream.

Lau is already serving a 10 week sentence for damaging native trees