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The Otago Regional Council is developing a new draft Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) to protect Otago’s precious waterways for future generations.

Work on the draft Plan has been paused while a new national framework on freshwater management is being developed by the Government.

We are not seeking any feedback on the draft Plan at this time. Once we understand the new direction for an amended NPSFM, we will provide clarity on what the next steps will be, and any opportunities for feedback.

We would like to sincerely thank mana whenua, the community, and all stakeholders for your input and support over the past five years. Your contributions have been vital to shape the draft plan.

Current status of the land and water work programme

Originally scheduled to be considered for notification in October 2024, work on finalising the new land and water regional plan has been paused while a new national framework on freshwater management is being developed by the Government.

ORC will work closely with the Government in understanding what the new NPSFM direction will look like and how that will impact the draft land and water regional plan.

As the new land and water regional plan is still in draft form, it is not official council policy and has no legal effect. This means that the current Regional Plan: Water and Regional Plan: Waste remain operative

Regional Plan: Waste July 2022

July 2022

ISBN 978-0-908324-80-4

PDF | 1 MB

The Regional Plan: Waste ushers in a new era for waste management in Otago and sets out clear directions in the vital areas of waste minimisation, and in the management of landfills, contaminated sites and hazardous substances and wastes.

Download

Journey so far

The draft Land and Water Regional Plan has been four years in the making; a collaborative effort between Councillors, mana whenua, Council staff, and a lot of input from our community and stakeholders including three public engagement stages between Nov 2021 and Nov 2023 resulting in more than a thousand individual pieces of feedback - showing it really does take a community to make a plan for the future.

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

Feedback was analysed in November 2023, and presented to Council in December 2023

Over the period January 2024 to August 2024, we completed statutory consultation with those who could be affected by the plan. This included Iwi authorities as well as stakeholders such as city and district councils, central government, industry groups, and environmental groups.

Revised land and water work programme through to notification

Once we have more clarity on when the new national framework on freshwater management will come into effect and the direction set in this national framework, we will update the programme for finalising the draft Land and Water Regional Plan and set a timeframe for a decision on notification.

Frequently asked questions about the proposed Land and Water Plan

Got questions? We're here to help!

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The path to a plan

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

Find your freshwater area

A freshwater management unit (FMU) is a water body or multiple water bodies believed to be the appropriate scale for managing water.

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How it started

Get a better understanding of why the Land and Water Regional Plan was proposed, as well as what the plan will address, and what communities have said.

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Partnership with Kāi Tahu

Our partnership with Kāi Tahu aims to build a strong and lasting relationships which allow mana whenua to contribute to decision-making and capacity development. It's a legal requirement but also part of our commitment to meaningful engagement, respecting the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

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Contact us

If you have any questions about the LWRP content and process, please contact our policy team at policy@orc.govt.nz.

If you have questions about how current water and waste plan rules may impact your activities, please contact our consent enquiries team at consent.enquiries@orc.govt.nz.

 

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