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Climate strategies
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ORC has an aspiration for Otago to be a climate–resilient region that plans for and invests in initiatives that reduce emissions and help us adapt to our changing climate.
Climate change will impact all areas of our lives. Risks to be aware of include those to our natural environment, communities, economy, built environment, and governance structures.
The ongoing survival and success of Otago’s unique species and the ecosystems they rely on is at risk from climate change, as the environment faces increasing temperatures, changes in rainfall, snow and ice, flooding, extreme weather events, drought and ocean acidification.
For buildings, physical infrastructure, and transport, there are already a number of climate hazards and risks, including the ability of our infrastructure and open spaces to cope in the face of changing and extreme weather, sea-level rise and flooding. Many risks relate to reliability of our water supply infrastructure and irrigation systems, and stormwater and wastewater networks.
Governance (our structures and processes for decision making) face several risks from climate change and its impacts. There is the risk that existing planning and legislative frameworks may hinder an effective, long-term, focused response to the challenges of climate change. Another risk is that costs will rise due to climate change impacts, leading to insufficient funding for adaptation and risk reduction.
Climate change brings risks to community cohesion, human health and mental wellbeing from disrupted services, possible migration, housing and livelihood stresses, and other impacts such as food insecurity. Climate change impacts are not spread evenly, which also increases existing inequities and costs of living. Kāi Tahu cultural sites and practices and other cultural heritage sites also face risks from sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and increased wildfire.
There are wide and varied risks from climate change to the Otago economy, as the economy is closely linked to the community, natural environment, and built environment. Risks relate to the impacts of extreme weather, changing temperatures, and drought on the agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and tourism sectors, among others. Also, there are risks of rising costs of doing business, and costs associated with repair and adaptation.
Different areas of Otago will experience vastly different changes due to the changing climate. We can expect:
Health impacts on communities dealing with the change, both physical and mental.
Extreme weather and flooding can damage homes, buildings, and recreation areas.
Hotter, drier weather and changes in wind patterns will increase fire risks.
Rising sea levels can cause floods and impact coastal communities and places of cultural significance.
Economic impacts can impact jobs and the costs of doing business.
Warmer temperatures will impact crops and animals, increase pests and diseases, and impact water storage.
ORC is part of a wider network of people and organisations working to address climate change. This network includes government, mana whenua, other councils, businesses, and communities. We will be affected by climate change in different ways and have specific roles in addressing climate change.
Climate change is already at the core of our everyday work. ORC’s Strategic Directions 2024–2034 guide our work to support the health, safety, and wellbeing of our communities. Many of these directions relate to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Most of ORC’s climate change responsibilities relate to adaptation. According to the Resource Management Act, regional councils are required to consider the effects of a changing climate on communities and incorporate climate change into existing frameworks, plans, projects, and standard decision-making procedures.
Mitigation is also important to how we work at ORC. We have begun work to reduce our emissions, and will support others to do the same.
In developing our Climate Strategy, we received feedback from mana whenua and key stakeholders to understand what they are doing regarding climate change and how ORC can align our work, so our roles are complementary.
We are reviewing our environmental and rainfall monitoring networks to check that they are fit for purpose and to see if more information should be collected. Our network of real-time rainfall and water-level stations operates with 24/7 support to assist forecasting and emergency response. We also collect data on coasts, rivers, landslides, and sea-level rise to better understand climate impacts.
We are working with other Otago councils so that civil defence and emergency planning reflects local risks. We are also carrying out a regional natural hazards risk assessment, and keeping a register of contaminated sites.
We are expanding our biosecurity programme to better manage pests. Through the ECO Fund, we continue to support projects that improve ecosystems and protect indigenous biodiversity.
Through Emergency Management Otago, we work to increase community awareness of climate hazards and how to prepare. This includes supporting mana whenua-led approaches to emergency readiness and response.
We collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils on adaptation, including the South Dunedin Futures programme, the Head of Lake Whakatipu Adaptation Strategy, and other place-based adaptation work.
We are also collaborating with Otago’s city and district councils to build on the Otago Climate Change Risk Assessment, which provides valuable adaptation information for the region.
We are working to ensure that Catchment Action Plans for different areas consider climate adaptation needs.
We are developing models to test how well flood schemes in East Taieri, West Taieri, Lower Clutha, and Tokomairiro can cope with climate change.
We are collaborating with Clutha District Council on an adaptation strategy for the Clutha Delta, and developing and adaptation strategy for the Lower Taieri Plains. This will include reviewing flood protection schemes and the impacts climate change will have on existing infrastructure, including flood banks, drainage systems, and pump stations.
We will carry out an organisational climate change risk assessment to understand the risks that face ORC assets, infrastructure, and operations. We will also ensure ORC’s budgeting process considers current and future climate change impacts.
We ensure that climate-related impacts are understood when developing Regional Plans, and that climate mitigation and adaptation policies are included in the Regional Policy Statement and Future Development Strategies.
We advocate to central government for legislation to support local government with managed retreat and other adaptation actions.
We are preparing a base year greenhouse gas emissions inventory for ORC as an organisation, which will inform an organisational emissions reduction plan.
We collaborate with the Zero Carbon Alliance and Otago Climate Officers Group to understand and work towards shared emissions reduction priorities.
We participate in the Enviroschools programme to promote environmentally friendly behaviour change in Otago communities.
We will develop an Otago Natural Hazards Adaptation Plan, and consistent assumptions on climate projections for Otago to underlie all ORC work.
We are revising ORC's Biodiversity Strategy and will ensure it factors in climate change impacts and is aligned with the Climate Strategy.
We are working to ensure that climate-related impacts and opportunities are understood when revising regional plans.
We provide education and advice through catchment advisor programmes to help our communities better understand environmental issues.
We engage with landowners in Otago on nature-based solutions for water quality and flood mitigation, to explore the potential for these solutions to be adopted at an individual property level.
We provide efficient, reliable, and accessible public transport services to meet community needs, and we are switching our bus fleet from diesel to electric.
We are coordinating public transport services with school travel plans. We undertake various surveys to understand current modes of transport and community views on public transport.
We are collaborating with Otago’s city and district councils to reduce car use and encourage public transport use by supporting parking plans, active transport, and carpooling.
We will develop and implement a public and active transport connectivity strategy to encourage active modes of travel and reduce vehicle emissions.
Te hurika o te āhuaraki Climate change
Earth experiences natural changes in its climate, the rate of these changes. The impacts we observe today are the result of historical emissions, and the increase in emissions in recent decades will lead to significant change in the coming years.
Te whakahaere o kā mōrea māori Managing natural hazards
Natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, coastal erosion, and landslides, can harm communities. Learn how the Council works to identify risks and help communities coordinate, prepare, respond in emergencies and recover.
Otago climate change risk assessment
Climate affects much of what we do in Otago, from horticulture in Central Otago to land drainage in Clutha delta. Climate change therefore does not function separately to the work that we do; it is a key consideration in all that we do. We want Otago's communities to be aware of climate change and will work with them to adapt to its effects on our region.
Strategic Directions
The ORC Strategic Directions 2024–2034 sets out how we’ll work with communities and mana whenua to care for our environment, tackle climate challenges, and strengthen regional resilience—ki uta ki tai.
