Land and Water Regional Plan

 

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The Plan's status

The journey so far

Next steps

 

 

The Plan's status

Proposed new rules in the Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) for Otago will give new, comprehensive direction for managing land and water resources in the region. The plan is required in New Zealand law, replacing an outdated Otago Regional Council planning framework that is no longer fit for purpose. The Government’s National Policy Statement on Freshwater 2020 gives effect to new protection for our waterways.

Our planning now must prioritise Te Mana o te Wai, a national policy emphasising that the health of our waterways must come first, above other needs. This national directive applies to all waterways in New Zealand. Our Otago draft plan is one of the first in the country heading towards public notification and a subsequent submission and hearings process from June 30, 2024. Parts of the plan will have legal effect at this time.

 

Public feedback

The public engagement held between September and November 6 involved communities who use and care about Otago’s lakes, rivers, and streams — and who may rely on them for their well-being. Feedback was accepted until 11:59pm, Monday November 6, 2023.

 

 

The journey so far

We began this journey in 2019 when the Minister for the Environment asked the Otago Regional Council to prepare a new Regional Policy Statement and Land and Water Plan. Previous planning rules and regulations were no longer deemed fit to provide protection for Otago’s waterways and surrounding environment.

Between 2020 and 2022 we engaged with our community around the visions and values people wanted for our waterways and the land affecting them in this new, more in-depth Plan. We also spoke with communities about actions that would help us reach positive environmental outcomes – these were that Otago's freshwater and land activities need to be:

• Healthy for plants, animals, and people and look after our region for future generations
• Safe for activities like swimming
• Beneficial for activities like fishing
• Sustainably managed; and
• Respectful of cultural and historical places.

 

Proposed new rules and regulations (provisions) have now been drafted, with mana whenua Kāi Tahu. This Plan will align with a government goal to improve freshwater quality within one generation.

 

 

Next Steps

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to give feedback on the proposed new rules in our draft land and water plan. We received over 550 responses from members of the community wanting to have their voice heard on the draft plan.

So far, the main areas of feedback have been around:

• changes around setbacks from waterbodies for various farming activities

• limits on the number of cows per hectare as a measure of intensity

• restrictions on the amount of nitrogen fertiliser used per hectare

• minimum flows for the Manuherekia River

We will analyse this feedback by the end of November. In December we will present an updated "pre-consultation" version of the draft plan to Council.

In early 2024, we will complete statutory consultation with those who could be affected by the plan. This will include stakeholders such as city and district councils, central government, industry groups, and environmental groups.

We expect to have finished the statutory consultation by 29 June 2024. After this everyone will be able to read the proposed plan, and make formal submissions on it should they choose to. More details on how to make a formal submission will be available by mid 2024.