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Strategic Directions

Our mission Te Kaupapa

Enriching life in a way that ensures positive relationships between environment, people and place, now and for our future

Whakahaumakohia te ao kia whiria te taura ora ki waeka i te taiao, i te tai-takata, i te tai-whenua mō nāianei, mō te āpōpō hoki

Our vision for Otago Tā mātau whaika ki Ōtākou

  • Communities that connect with, and care for, Otago’s environment
  • Communities that are resilient in the face of natural hazards, climate change and other risks
  • Sustainable, safe and inclusive transport
  • An environment that supports healthy people and ecosystems
  • Te Ao Māori and Mātauranga Kāi Tahu are embedded in Otago communities
  • A sustainable way of life for everyone in Otago

What we will do Ka aha mātau

Protect, Connect, Enhance, Enable
Ka tāwharau, ka whakahona, ka whakaniko, ka whakamana

The wellbeing of Otago’s communities - now and in the future - is at the heart of what we do.

We will enhance environmental management in Otago by:

  • Taking an integrated catchment management approach;
  • Putting more emphasis on spatial planning;
  • Enhancing access to and communication of data and knowledge.
Good air quality Effective response to climate change Healthy and diverse ecosystems Community resilience to natural hazards Sustainable and quality urban development Sustainable, safe and inclusive transport Healthy water, soil and coast Regional leadership

Good air quality

With our partners, promote and enable clean heating and support warm and energy-efficient homes.

Protect Otago’s communities against the effects of the emission of harmful air pollutants.

Monitor air quality in the region and investigate pollution sources.

Provide best available information on Otago’s air quality.

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Effective response to climate change

Lead a regional approach to climate change to:

  • Enable climate change mitigation and meeting New Zealand’s emission targets
  • Support Otago communities adapting to climate change effects

Engage communities to increase understanding about climate change and its impacts.

Monitor the region’s carbon-footprint and set an example to manage emissions as an organisation.

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Healthy and diverse ecosystems

Coordinate collaboration on biodiversity programmes and initiatives within the region.

Deliver biodiversity management.

Lead biosecurity management in the region.

Promote and enable good land management and environmental initiatives to protect and enhance Otago’s biodiversity and ecosystems.

Monitor and investigate the health of Otago’s ecosystems.

Provide best available information on Otago’s ecosystems.

Engage with communities and iwi partners to increase collective understanding of ecosystems.

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Community resilience to natural hazards

Set directions to manage natural hazard risks; and support decision-making to mitigate these.

Engage with people, communities, iwi partners, and other stakeholders to increase understanding of natural hazard risks in the region.

Lead regional emergency management response and planning.

Deliver flood protection and land drainage infrastructure.

Monitor and investigate natural hazard risks in the region Provide flood warning information.

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Sustainable and quality urban development

Set directions on managing urban development in the region for environmentally sustainable growth.

Promote and enable initiatives that support environmentally sustainable communities.

Collaborate to integrate urban planning, infrastructure planning and environmental management.

Sustainable, safe and inclusive transport

Collaborate with partner agencies to:

  • Integrate transport infrastructure and public transport into urban planning
  • Promote the transition away from private fossil-fuel passenger transport together with partner agencies
  • Promote safe land-based and maritime transport

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Healthy water, soil and coast

Promote and enable:

  • Best practice land management, for soil conservation, water quality and using water efficiently
  • Initiatives for the enhancement of Otago’s waterbodies and coast

Engage with communities and iwi partners to increase collective understanding of Otago’s catchments.

Protect our land, water and coast from inappropriate activities.

Maintain river channels, waterways and coastal mouths.

Monitor and investigate the health of Otago’s fresh and coastal water, and soil resources.

Provide the best available information on Otago’s water, land and coastal resources.

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Regional leadership

Engage with our communities, and collect relevant information about wellbeing.

Take appropriate actions to address the region’s identified significant wellbeing issues.

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Vision for ORC Te whāika ki ORC

Otago’s communities, through engagement, trust us to make well-informed decisions and enable solutions.

Our values Ō mātau uara

  • Accountable
  • Collaborative
  • Caring
  • Trustworthy
  • Creative
  • Open and honest

Our commitments Ō mātau haepapa

  • Focus on customer needs
  • Implement central government directions in the regional context
  • Deliver integrated environmental management
  • Effectively engage communities
  • Collaborate to deliver
  • Partner with mana whenua and make Mātauranga Kāi Tahu an integral part of our decision-making
  • Make decisions that are evidence-based and timely

Enabling a high-performing organisation through: Whakaritea ana he ohu e mahi tika rawa ana mā:

  • An engaged, resilient and inclusive workforce
  • Prudent, fair, and transparent financial management
  • Continuous improvements to information management, business processes and technology
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