Kia ora, and welcome to the last On Stream for 2022!
In this issue, summer’s here and we’re ALL about it. We like our summer messaging to come in threes:
check, clean, dry,
slip, slop, slap,
and stop, drop, and 3-second rule (for the sausage that falls off the BBQ).
This year, to help you enjoy a safe holiday while looking after the environment we all love, we’ve put together our top 10 holiday tips: |
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 Wilding conifers make excellent Christmas trees. Wilding conifers, also known as wilding pines, are a serious pest issue, taking over our tussock grasslands and threatening our iconic Otago landscapes. The only good conifer is one standing in a bucket of sand, decorated with tinsel and a star.
 Don’t swim after heavy rain.
After heavy rain, run-off can sweep goobies into our rivers and lakes. Wait 48 hours before you take a dip, and check water quality results at LAWA. If rain has been especially heavy, look for water-related alerts here.
 Clean, check and dry your boat, kayak, paddleboard or water skis after you’ve been in and on our lakes and rivers to stop the spread of didymo, Lagarosiphon and Lindavia (Lake Snow). These aquatic pests create lots of problems for freshwater users and clog waterways. Find out more.
 Cleaning the car these holidays?
Do it on the lawn and just use hot water and soap rather than harsh chemicals, to stop nasties getting into our waterways.
 If you see a Bennett’s wallaby on your travels around our region (dead or alive), make sure you report it at reportwallabies.nz — a team will be dispatched to the area to investigate. This furry Aussie import could cost our economy millions if we don’t act now to get rid of them.
 Be a responsible skipper and follow the safer boating code, always wear a lifejacket and say no to beersies on boatsies.
 Spot pollution?
Call our 24/7 pollution hotline: 0800 800 033 — take a photograph or video on your phone if you can, it might be needed for evidence later.
 A plan for our future!
Don't forget to give feedback on the development of a new Land and Water Regional Plan for Otago before submissions close on 31 December. Head to yoursay.orc.govt.nz/land-and-water-regional-plan-consultation-round-two to have your say.
 Top up your Bee Card and use public transport in 10 regions around New Zealand these holidays — even on the Queenstown ferry!
 Keep your doggo safe by looking out for toxic algal blooms, which can occur when temperatures rise. A piece as small as a 50-cent coin can be deadly.
Follow ORC on Facebook for updates over the break.
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Deputy Harbourmaster Pete Dryden (left) and
Harbourmaster Steve Rushbrook (right)
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Heading to the lakes to partake in the great Kiwi tradition of falling over behind a boat? Paddleboarding more your thing? Make sure you say, ‘Ahoy there!’ to our Harbourmaster team, who will be based in Central Otago this summer with the vessel Kaitiaki.
“Lake Dunstan is a busy area for lots of different water activities and attracts people from all over the region, and we want everyone to enjoy their summer,” says Harbourmaster Steve Rushbrook. “We’ll be out and about again this season to keep an eye on things and to make sure people are sticking to the safer boating code.”
The safer boating code highlights five key things to stay safe on the water:
• Wear your lifejacket
• Take two waterproof ways to call for help
• Check the marine weather forecast
• Avoid alcohol
• Be a responsible skipper
“We’re hoping to see everyone keeping up the good work this summer,” says the Harbourmaster. The team will also be hitting up hot spots around the region and attending events to spread the safety message.
You can find more information on safer boating and Otago Navigation Safety Bylaws on ORC’s website at www.orc.govt.nz/harbourmaster
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Swim water testing sites added
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This summer, Pinders Pond, Oamaru Harbour, Clutha at Dunorling Street and Waianakarua at Graves Dam have been added to the ORC’s recreational monitoring programme that tests water to identify the ‘swimability’ of a waterway in Otago and publishes the results for the public to see.
Every year, our water scientists check popular swimming spots around Otago to see if these rivers, lakes and streams are safe to swim in. This season, 31 swimming sites will be tested weekly for bacteria and 11 sites for toxic algae.
The latest water quality results are posted to LAWA.org.nz (Land Air Water Aotearoa), a handy resource for New Zealanders across the country to check the quality of their favourite water spot.
The programme, which started in 2006, runs over the summer months from 1 December to 31 March.
You can find out if a swim area is safe on LAWA by clicking on the swimming icon on the orange box, top left, or by selecting the menu option under the search bar that says “Can I swim here?”. Search for your local waterway ahead of a visit and plan your trip or your dog walk with the latest information.
The map will show which spots are suitable or not for swimming with a handy traffic light system.
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Rock snot, didymo, is super gross.
Whether you’re boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, or swimming this summer, make sure that if you move between waterways, you always Check, Clean and Dry all clothing and equipment to stop the spread of freshwater pests.
Didymo, lagarosiphon and lake snow are the three major freshwater pests in Otago, and they are all easy to spread. Left unchecked, these pests can choke and clog up waterways and their ecosystems and make recreational activities difficult, if not impossible.
When you’re leaving a waterway, check that you have no plant material attached to your boat, trailer, clothes or footwear. Even if you can’t see it, it could be there in microscopic form, so always clean your gear, then let it dry before heading to the next waterway.
It’s a legal requirement to Check, Clean and Dry your gear if you’re using multiple waterways. If you can’t, stick to one waterway this summer.
For more info about Check, Clean, Dry, check out the Ministry for Primary Industries website www.mpi.govt.nz, or the ORC website www.orc.govt.nz/pesthub
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New hazard data for Glenorchy
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We recently commissioned a study to better understand and adapt to flood hazards in the Dart-Rees rivers area.
The report by Damwatch Engineering Ltd focuses on the management of three areas at the head of Lake Whakatipu, where flooding may impact the community. The report includes tables discussing the engineering or river management interventions identified as possible ways to manage the floodplain hazards. As well as a summary of the potential intervention approaches, it identifies benefits and challenges to implementing that type of intervention. It’s an information resource to help inform us, Queenstown Lakes District Council and the community as we work together to decide how to respond to these natural challenges.
You can view the report here. We welcome your feedback on the report — please get in touch by email headofthelake@orc.govt.nz.
A similar consultant assessment of management approaches for liquefaction and lateral spreading hazards is also underway. When this is released, we plan to go to the community again in 2023 to talk about the new findings.
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Santa Claus came to town, and we were there!
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Our Orbus and Harbourmaster teams at the Dunedin Santa Parade.
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Enviroschools 2022 round up
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“Everything we do is about sustainability” — Waitaki Boys' High School student.
Enviroschools works with 100 early childhood centres and primary and secondary schools across Otago, with the aim of empowering a generation to think and act sustainably. There has been some marvellous mahi (work) and no shortage of motivation and inspiration from Otago students and teachers this year.
Schools are growing vegetables and learning how to cook the food they grow. Along the way, they have been discovering that soil is a living organism, with worm farms and composts creating a rich resource to feed their gardens and simultaneously reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.
Students have been busy propagating native plants and planting up school grounds, working on community planting projects and getting involved with riparian planting with farmers and catchment groups. Climate change has also been a big topic this year.
Connecting to the natural world brings out the creative talents of students. There have been some fantastic art projects using materials found in nature. We can’t wait to see what 2023 brings!
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Toitū Te Hakapupu: The Pleasant River Catchment Restoration Project update
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Over the last year, the project's focus has been connecting. ORC and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki have been developing a strong partnership around the journey to create a catchment restoration management plan that reflects our inspiration to restore, enhance and sustain the mauri and health of the catchment.
With the help of the East Otago Catchment Group, an event was held with the local community and landowners to start conversations about the health of the catchment, possible work over the next couple of years, and what aspirations and ideas they have for their catchment.
We look forward to seeing a lot of on-the-ground work happening next year. We hope that fences will be installed in 2023, we’ll gather further information about water quality, and, all going to plan, tens of thousands of plants will be in the ground by the end of winter.
ORC and Kāti Huirapa will keep the conversation going with the community to understand what science they want to explore within the catchment and where they see the most benefit from funding.
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Land and Water Regional Plan: It’s not too late to have your say
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Community consultation round two for the proposed new Land and Water Regional Plan for Otago is nearly complete, with ORC and Kāi Tahu having hosted 25 community meetings over the last two months. Our science and policy staff have returned with some valuable feedback collected from 19 locations across Otago on some preferred environmental outcomes and the actions that will help get us there.
Thank you to all of those that attended a community meeting. We appreciate you taking time out to be part of the group discussions. We’d like to hear more about your personal views on the environmental outcomes and actions proposed.
Share your thoughts with us in an online feedback form for the area where you live and/or also for any areas you have an interest in.
For those that couldn’t make it to a community meeting, this is an opportunity for you to join the conversation and tell us what you think about the land and waterways in your area.
The feedback forms will be open until the end of 31 December 2022.
The consultation finishes up this week in Dunedin at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery on Thursday, 8 December.
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Christmas is nearly here!
ORC’s offices will be closed from Friday, 23 December and reopen on Wednesday, 4 January 2023; however, we’ll still be servicing the 24/7 pollution hotline and carrying out water monitoring, and our Harbourmaster team will be in the Cromwell area as well as patrolling the Otago coast, making sure everyone is staying safe.
Thanks so much for being a reader this year. If there’s something you’d like us to cover in 2023, please send an email to lisa.scott@orc.govt.nz.
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Find out about monthly Otago Regional Council meetings here.
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Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to read it. If you have any story ideas or want to know anything specific about anything in this issue, let us know by emailing lisa.scott@orc.govt.nz. If you have been forwarded this email, you can sign up here. |
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