Kia ora, and welcome to the second edition of On-Stream for 2022
We hope you’ve had a safe and happy summer.
Here at the Otago Regional Council, our work involves community discussion and consultation. We are currently working on projects that seek input from the community including the Land and Water Regional Plan, the Dart Reese hazard mitigation project and the flood protection management bylaw review.
You can read more about these and other developments below.
In other good news, our ECO Fund has had a huge boost with targeted funding in new areas! Applications are now open.
Happy reading, and as always, we welcome your feedback. |
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Calling Dunedin and Coast, North Otago and Taieri residents
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A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to attend our online workshops for the Land and Water Regional Plan and who provided us feedback through the survey.
The Dunstan, Roxburgh and Lower Clutha part of the survey is now closed, and we are still seeking feedback from communities from Dunedin and Coast, North Otago, and Taieri areas, following online meetings. Surveys for these remaining rohe will close on 14 April.
If you’re interested in viewing recordings of these meetings, you can find them on our website just select the area you’re interested in from the list on the left side of the page.
In the second and third round of this process, staff will be reporting back to the communities, to present options for looking after your important values, and to receive further input. There will also be a formal submission process once the plan is eventually notified, by the end of 2023.
The Land and Water Regional Plan will be a crucial document for the future management of Otago’s unique natural resources, so we welcome your contribution on how that future should look.
Learn more about the Land and Regional Water Plan consultation process.
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ECO Fund 2022 round opens
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ORC’s ECO Fund, which supports community-led projects that benefit Otago’s environment, is open for applicants to apply for funding.
The original $290,000 fund will be supplemented for the first time with new one-off incentive funds to support rabbit management projects, native planting for water quality outcomes and native planting following the removal of wilding pines.
Head online to apply or get in touch with the ECO Fund team by emailing ecofund@orc.govt.nz or calling 0800 474 082.
Pictured are one of the ECO Fund 2019 recipients - pupils at Weston School received $1,770 to restore and protect a skink-friendly garden. |
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Hakataramea - The speargrass dance
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Waitaki Valley School students recently got stuck in at the Hakataramea, the largest tributary of the Waitaki River, where they learned about the river's wildlife, history and cultural significance. They also explored how the river interacts with the environment and who and what it meets on its meandering seaward journey.
Here they are with Waitaki Enviroschools facilitator, Lucianne White and Debbie Eddington from Environment Canterbury, before a well deserved swim.
 Working alongside the Hakataramea Sustainability Collective, the school is also turning a disused school tennis court into a community nursery for native plants.
The Hakataramea comes from haka meaning to dance and taramea is speargrass. Combined, Hakataramea refers to a commemorative dance that took place near the mouth of the river.
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Rees River flow in real time
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Late last year, the ORC Environmental Monitoring team installed a new monitoring station to measure flows in the Rees River, upstream of Glenorchy, near Queenstown.
The new Rees River flow recorder has now been operating for nearly four months, the river flows have been relatively low through this time, apart from the higher-flow event in early-February.
Having a dataset of measured river flows, in particular for high-flow events, will improve the accuracy in estimates of the size and likelihood of Rees River flows, and improve understanding of the area’s hydrology and flood hazards.
As well as enable residents in the area to observe and monitor river flows themselves, it provides early warning for Civil Defence preparedness.
The near real-time flow data are now available to view online at ORC WaterInfo. You can also click the site on the overview map of all ORC sites at this link.
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Protecting Galaxias in the Kauru
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About the Flood protection bylaw review
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Otago Regional Council (ORC) provides flood protection and land drainage across thousands of acres of rural and urban land in Otago.
We’ve recently reviewed the Flood Protection Management Bylaw, the regulation that safeguards flood protection and land drainage assets owned or managed by ORC.
We are proposing amendments to rules that help minimise the risk and impact of flooding events, as part of a bylaw review currently underway.
Public consultation is open from Thursday 31 March. Click here to have your say.
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Wade a minute...
At the end of a long day wading out in the water to collect water quality samples or measure river flows, ORC’s Environmental Monitoring team hang up their waders to dry at the Ngapara Street Alexandra office, ready to get out in the field again tomorrow.
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Winter grazing refresher
Our Catchment Advisors had a refresher session on intensive winter grazing recently and are now ready to run workshops with farmers and catchment groups. You can contact your local catchment advisor by emailing catchments@orc.govt.nz.
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Watch out Wallabies
Environment Canterbury and the ORC have added signs around the region to remind people to report wallabies. While we’re lucky to have relatively low numbers in Otago compared to Canterbury, there is the potential for wallabies to spread south. Find out more on our Pest Hub or read about the joint approach here. |
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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 been forwarded this email, you can sign up here.
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