ORC councillors yesterday approved the acceleration of its Integrated Catchment Management Programme to co-develop Catchment Action Plans with community and mana whenua across the region by December 2027—almost two years ahead of the original schedule. 
 
A Catchment Action Plan is a non-regulatory plan for the management and conservation of an entire catchment or catchments, building on the work that iwi, communities, catchment groups and local government are already doing to protect and manage their place. These plans cover freshwater as well as terrestrial and saltwater environments, along with land, soils and key human values. 
 
Councillor and chair of ORC’s new Integrated Catchment Management Governance Board Andrew Noone says the original programme had nine Catchment Action Plans being delivered by October 2029. 

“Two are complete and a third is underway. The six remaining catchment areas will be consolidated into four larger, connected catchments and prepared in this order: Dunedin and Coast, Upper Clutha/Mata-au, Lower Clutha/Mata-au and North Otago,” he says. 

“Under this approach, the Clutha/Mata-au catchment would be split into Upper and Lower areas, alongside the Dunedin and Coast and North Otago catchment areas. This structure is designed to reflect local communities and environments, while still recognising the connections across the wider catchment.” 

Cr Noone says this strikes the best balance between efficiency and effective engagement. 

“This structure balances faster delivery with meaningful local engagement. By keeping the Clutha/Mata-au catchment in two distinct areas, the plan ensures that local voices and priorities are reflected, while also enabling efficiencies and coordinated planning across connected catchments.”  

The rollout will begin in April 2026 with the Dunedin and Coast Catchment Action Plan, followed by Upper Clutha/Mata-au starting in June 2026, Lower Clutha/Mata-au starting in July 2026, and North Otago starting in March 2027. Each Catchment Action Plan area will have an ORC councillor to support the work. 

ORC has also updated the Integrated Catchment Management Governance structure, renaming the current Working Group as the Integrated Catchment Management Governance Board. The board will have the authority to confirm members for each Catchment Action Plan Group, streamlining decision-making while maintaining strong oversight. 
 
"This accelerated programme allows us to deliver tangible environmental benefits sooner, while keeping communities and mana whenua at the heart of decision-making. By working together, we can protect our rivers, wetlands, and landscapes, ensuring they thrive for generations to come,” says Cr Noone. 

Crs Andrew Noone (chair), Kevin Malcolm, Neil Gillespie and Robbie Byars will be the representatives on the Integrated Catchment Management Governance Board. 

The Catchment Action Plan areas are: 

1. Dunedin and Coast – covering an area from Macraes and Waikouaiti in the north to the mouth of the Taiari/Taieri river in the south. Cr Chanel Gardner will be the representative for the Dunedin and Coast Integrated Catchment Group. 

2. Upper Clutha/Mata-au* – covering an area that includes Dunstan and Manuherekia in the north and the upper part of Roxburgh in the south. Cr Neil Gillespie will be the representative for the Upper Clutha/Mata-au Integrated Catchment Group. 

3. Lower Clutha/Mata-au* – covering an area that includes the lower part of Roxburgh in the north to the southern part of Dunedin and Coast catchment area at the mouth of the Taiari/Taieri river. Crs Andrew Noone and Kate Wilson (as alternative) will be the representatives for the Lower Clutha/Mata-au Integrated Catchment Group.  

4. North Otago – covering an area from the Waitaki Bridge in the north to the bottom of the southern branch of the Waikouaiti River. It includes coastal margins to the north and east of Waitaki and Oamaru and the coastal strip from Glen Creek to the Waikouaiti River. Crs Kevin Malcolm and Andrew Noone (as alternative) will be the representatives for the North Otago Integrated Catchment Group.  

5. Taiari/Taieri – a Catchment Action Plan is currently being developed. Cr Kate Wilson is the representative for this Integrated Catchment Group. 

6. Upper Lakes – a Catchment Action Plan has been developed. Cr Matt Hollyer is the representative for this Integrated Catchment Group. 

7. The Catlins - a Catchment Action Plan has been developed. Cr Robbie Byars is the representative for this Integrated Catchment Group. 

*Exact boundary line to be decided after community discussions 

Otago Regional Council’s Integrated Catchment Management programme followed decisions in the Long-Term Plan 2021-31. The Catlins was chosen as the pilot area, and in August 2023, the council agreed to develop the Upper Lakes and Taieri/Taiari plans. Following a review of the programme at the end of 2025, the council endorsed a plan to reduce the number of remaining Catchment Action Plan areas from six to four and reshape the governance structure. The updated approach retains the programme's intent at no extra cost to ratepayers, maintains the core development process, and allows time for community participation. 
 
Integrated Catchment Management is a whole-of-landscape approach that uses the catchment as the boundary. Managing the environment at a catchment scale looks at the landscape from the mountains or headwaters of the catchment down to the sea, reflecting a 'Te Ao Māori' concept of inextricable connection between people and their environment, and between every element of our natural world – ki uta ki tai / mountains to the sea. This approach turns plans into on-the-ground results, ensures local support and shared ownership, and reduces duplication while building community and partner capacity to lead implementation.  
  

For more information about the ICM programme and how to get involved, visit: orc.govt.nz/ICM