Wednesday 24 September 2025
The Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) Annual Report for 2024/25 shows strong progress across its core services, prudent financial management, and continued investment in community-led initiatives — despite a year of significant legislative and funding changes.
Council Chair Gretchen Robertson says the results reflect ORC’s commitment to delivering what was promised in the Annual Plan, while staying accountable to the community.
“Annual Plans are built with our communities, and it’s our responsibility to deliver on those commitments. This year 75% of our service delivery measures were fully achieved, and 86% were either achieved or substantially achieved.”
“Where we didn’t meet targets, it was largely due to external shifts like central government direction altering the deliverability of original targets. These results show that, overall, ORC is performing well and adapting where we need to,” she says.
ORC recorded a $9.2 million surplus for the year to 30 June 2025, which included a $4.5 million gain from a land sale (that had been budgeted in the previous year).
Government contributions also boosted outcomes, including $2 million of unbudgeted grant funding for the Taieri flood and drainage contour channel project.
Prudent financial management saw a proposed average rate increase of more than 13% reduced to 5.5%, while still meeting community priorities.
Ratepayers further benefited from the strong performance of Port Otago, which returned an $18 million dividend to offset general rates.
“We’re proud to be 100% shareholders of Port Otago — it’s not only crucial infrastructure for Otago but also a strong performer that offsets general rates demand right across the region,” Cr Robertson says.
The Annual Report details a range of service delivery results, including:
“We’re especially proud of the record levels of public transport use, the success of community-led workshops, and the strong results in compliance, flood protection, and emergency management. These outcomes show ORC delivering where it matters most for our people and places,” Cr Robertson says.
While ORC’s work during the 2024/25 year showed the value of strategic and connected work, ORC also needs to be adaptable and be able to respond to Government direction and changes to legislation, Cr Robertson says.
During the year ORC had to pause notification of its Land and Water Regional Plan and related work, has been preparing for changes to freshwater legislation, the Resource Management Act, fast-track legislation and also changes to the Local Government Act.
“We’re also preparing for a significant shift in available funding for environmental work in the future,” she says.
Cr Robertson says ORC’s continued work to improve the public transport system in Dunedin and Queenstown saw passenger numbers at record levels – of more than 5 million passenger trips.
That reflected the importance of public transport in people’s everyday lives, plus strong engagement during ORC’s Regional Public Transport Plan, she says.
Cr Robertson says community-led initiatives continue to prove their value.
“Community-led projects stretch every dollar further. They attract volunteer support, gain local buy-in, and achieve results that last. We’ve seen this at Waiwhakaata / Lake Hayes and Te Hakapupu / Pleasant River, where action planning has brought mana whenua, landowners, and local groups together to protect and restore catchments. This approach is central to how we’ll deliver in the future,” she says.
ORC has also been embedding continuous improvement across the organisation, informed by external reviews and efficiency assessments.
“Ratepayers expect us to be effective and efficient with their money. We’re listening, and our continuous improvement programme is ensuring we deliver the best value possible for the community,” Cr Robertson says.
“The Annual Report reflects the work we do alongside mana whenua and environmental groups, organisations, schools, farmers and other landowners across Otago to look after catchments, care for waterways, manage pest animals and plants, and care for Otago’s many diverse environments,” she says.
Cr Robertson says the report is both a record of achievement and a guide to future direction.
“Our vision is clear: Otago’s environment and communities, healthy and connected — ki uta ki tai, from the mountains to the sea. The Annual Report reflects not just what we’ve achieved, but how we’re changing the way we deliver — focusing on efficiency, value, and partnerships to achieve the best outcomes for Otago,” she says.
The ORC’s Annual Report for 2024-25, to 30 June, was tabled at a full Council meeting in Dunedin this afternoon. The full Annual Report 2024/25 is available on the ORC website [in the council agenda].