The controversial draft Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) is one step closer to becoming signed off, following the public submission process.

A total of 573 public responses were received for the Otago Regional Council’s LWRP, which had a strong farming and forestry focus.

Water allocation and activities in lakes and river beds were also common topics, followed by earthworks, damming, discharges of agrichemicals, wetlands and outstanding waterbodies, according to manager of policy and planning manager Fleur Matthews.

The regional council held 12 public drop-in sessions throughout Otago and two online meetings attracting 370 people.

The 573 responses was up 590% on the previous round of consultation, which only had 83.

Across the regional council’s designated FMU (Freshwater Management Units) or rohes, 31% of the feedback was Otago-wide, 15% each were for the Taieri FMU and Manuherekia rohe, 13% North Otago FMU, 11% Lower Clutha rohe, 5% Dunstan rohe, 3% each Catlins FMU and Upper Lakes rohe, and 2% each Dunedin and Coast and Roxburgh rohe.

She said a summary was written of the feedback received, organised by main themes on each topic.

“Although the summary doesn’t capture every single point of feedback provided, staff have reviewed and considered all the feedback, to assist with informing the next stage of plan drafting,” she said.

About 60% of respondents commented on the draft provisions in the primary production chapter, while about 25% of respondents commented on the draft provisions in the water quantity chapter.

About 25% of respondents commented on the draft provisions for the management of activities in the beds of lakes and rivers chapter.

About 10% of respondents commented on the draft provisions in the damming and diversions, earthworks and drilling, other discharges, and wetlands chapters, as well as the provisions for managing outstanding water bodies.

There were also two public Environmental Science & Policy (ESP) workshops in November, where staff summarised the main feedback across certain topics and sought policy direction from the committee.

On December 14 there will be a full day briefing for ESP to talk through the draft plan that will be available for Clause 3 consultation in 2024. The briefing will be public excluded, as it will be subject to legal privilege.

The council will be asked in June next year to approve the plan for notification.

They will see a draft version in December that is the pre-notification consultation version.

There will likely be changes from the version they see in December, and the version which will be notified in June, depending on feedback received through the pre-notification consultation process.