Spraying will be carried out by ground crews in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Regional Plan: Air for Otago and Regional Plan: Water.

The programme will target gorse, broom, lupin, and juvenile willow located within the main river fairways.

Holders of known water takes in these areas will be notified separately.

Spraying is planned to begin from 23 February 2026 and be completed by the end of March 2026. Actual spray dates will be weather-dependent and subject to contractor availability.

The rivers included in this programme are:

• Muddy Creek — from Kenilworth Street to the creek outlet, excluding WDC Esplanade Reserve and area adjacent to WDC.
• Landon Creek — from 400m upstream of State Highway 1 to the creek mouth.
• Awamoko Creek — from Duntroon Road bridge to 500m downstream.
• Waikoura Creek — from 1km downstream of SH83 Georgetown–Pukeuri Road to Waitaki River confluence.

Maps of the spray areas will be available on ORC’s website at orc.govt.nz/OamaruSpraying26

Please note: these maps show the indicative extent of the programme only. They do not identify the specific target sites within these boundaries. Only confirmed target areas will be sprayed.

For any enquiries, please contact customerservices@orc.govt.nz or call 0800 474 082.