Welcome to the November 2020 edition of On-Stream
We hope you are enjoying some calm before the "silly season" begins! In this edition, find out about the Ministry for the Environment's webinar series on new water rules, a reminder to tell us what you'd like for the future of your waterways in person or online before 27 November, information on two pest plants: velvet leaf and broom, and we celebrate the successes of catchment groups around the region. Also, if you have a deemed permit there's a reminder about when these expire and what you need to do to be able to continue taking water.
We'd also love your feedback on this newsletter. Please take a couple of minutes to let us know what you like and what you'd like more information about – the survey link is at the bottom of this email.
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Information on new national water rules
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The Ministry for the Environment are holding a series of webinars to share information on the new national Essential Freshwater rules and regulations and to discuss implementation. You can take part in upcoming webinars and watch videos of webinars that have already run. There’s easy-to-understand information and practical advice. Find out more here.
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Update on Intensive Winter Grazing consent applications
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We've been implementing the new national water rules and understand that many farmers are planning to apply for resource consent for their intensive winter grazing activities. Before we start accepting applications we’d like to ensure we’ve got the right systems in place to process these efficiently. We’re currently working with other councils to align our approach and to ensure our processes and systems are robust and fit for purpose. We expect to complete this work by early 2021, and application forms will be available on our website then.
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What's your vision for the future of your waterways?
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Our Water, Our Vision
A reminder to head along to community workshops in your area or to go online to tell us your vision for waterways in the future. This will feed into both our Land and Water Regional Plan and the Regional Policy Statement so please make the time to have your say.
- Milton 19 November, 12.30-2.00pm, Milton Coronation Hall, 98 Union St
- Balclutha 19 November, 6.00-7.30pm, Cross Recreation Centre, 18 Glasgow St, Balclutha
- Queenstown 24 November, 6.00-7.30pm, St Peters Church Hall, 2 Church St
- Wanaka 25 November, 12.30-2.00pm and 6.00-7.30pm, Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore St
- Arrowtown 26 November, 12.30-2.00pm, Arrowtown Bowling Club, 6 Hertford St
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Expiring deemed permits reminder
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Reminder to all deemed permit holders If you have a “deemed permit” (a historic water take right), it will expire on 1 October 2021. If you want to continue taking water after 1 October 2021, you will need to lodge a resource consent application (and have it accepted as complete by ORC), ideally by 1 April 2021, but by 1 July 2021 at the very latest. Click here for more information or call 0800 474 082.
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Keep on the lookout for velvet leaf
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In 2015, a collaborative effort between regional councils, industry groups, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and many land owners across the country including in Otago, helped remove the pest plant velvet leaf and stop its spread across the country. So that the hard work doesn’t go to waste, please look out for velvet leaf this summer. Its seeds persist on farms for decades, even surviving digestion and silage. MPI are asking farmers to check for velvet leaf, especially around gateways and the first 3-4 rows of crops. If you find any, photograph it, mark its location and immediately call MPI on their free hotline – 0800 80 99 66. Find out more |
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You may notice the new name for this part of the newsletter: "Mauri mahi, mauri ora" – which means "through work, we prosper". We think it fits well with this section's focus on the great work people in our communities are doing to improve the health of our waterways.
Congratulations to a couple of catchment groups on their successful funding bids recently! The Pomahaka Water Care Group has Provincial Growth Funding for their corridor planting project, with 5km of fencing and over 2,000 plants already in the ground in the Washpool catchment. WAI Wanaka has a Jobs for Nature contract and is undertaking riparian planting, wetland restoration, fencing, pest management and biodiversity enhancement projects. We are looking forward to seeing the ventures as they progress and the resulting improvements to awa health, biodiversity and the landscape changes in the catchments.
The Pomahaka Water Care Group has also been trialling on-farm mitigation options to reduce contaminants entering waterways. One of the options was an intervention to filter water before it enters a waterway. A sediment trap was placed at the upper end, and native carex, flax and toi toi was planted below along a meandering pathway. This project has been low-cost and water quality monitoring has shown a reduction in contaminants, including a 60% reduction in E.coli. The NZ Landcare Trust has published a video with a summary of the project (including great aerial footage) which you can find here.
We have heard from a few people that the low-slope map for stock exclusion regulations published by MfE inaccurately categorises farmland in Otago. MfE is seeking information on the impacts of the current map to improve how low-slope land can be better identified. If you are an affected landowner and believe the maps classify steep land or higher altitude land as low slope, you can find more information and send feedback here.
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Flood scheme repairs
We are underway repairing the Lower Clutha Flood Protection and Drainage Scheme near Balclutha that was damaged by significant rainfall in February earlier this year. It's expected that the majority of repairs will be completed by June 2021. Read more |
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Pest of the month: broom
Broom is a threat to rural land because it can stop stock from grazing, but it can also cause problems for our biodiversity. Broom will grow anywhere in Otago. Find out more about the rules around broom and what you can do to control it here www.orc.govt.nz/pesthub |
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La Nina predicted
This month’s NIWA climate forecast has confirmed the arrival of La Nina patterns for November to January with a 96% probability. This may mean a dry period for parts of Otago. Read more |
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Tell us what you think about On-Stream newsletter
We'd love your feedback on this newsletter – what do you like and what could be improved? Please tell us in a short survey here. |
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What's coming up?
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Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to read it. If you have been forwarded this email and would like to subscribe, please email us at water@orc.govt.nz.
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