The Otago Regional Council (ORC) will hold an online public information and question meeting tonight about proposed Otago water and waste plan changes.

The online information and question session will be streamed and recorded online tonight, 28 July at 7pm. 

To join the meeting click here.

ORC Policy Manager, Anita Dawe, said the meeting will focus on Proposed Water Permits Plan Change(PC7), which provides parameters for applications for resource consents for taking, using and discharging water, including applications to replace expiring deemed permits., and Plan Changes 8 and 1 to the Water and Waste Plan respectively, that seeks to improve or manage:

• waste water discharges
• farm effluent storage systems
• good farming practices such as controls on intensive winter grazing and excluding dairy cattle and pigs from waterways
• provisions for managing sediment loss from earthworks for residential development
• the establishment of regionally important infrastructure in wetlands
• improving controls on the use of dust suppressants
• assessing resource consent applications for landfills

“Under Plan Change 7, people with expiring deemed permits (historic water rights that expire in 2021) or water permits that expire before 2025 will need to apply for a resource consent to be able to continue taking water,” Anita said. 

“Plan Change 7 also seeks to  limit consent duration for new and replacement consents to line up with the proposed Land and Water Regional Plan.

“Plan Change 8 will or may affect  farmers, people developing urban land, Territorial Authorities, and any person who might be seeking a consent to discharge to water or land.”

The plan changes have been controversial and were alleged to have been one of the sticking points on which former chair Marian Hobbs was ousted by her fellow councillors. 

“There are a lot of proposed new provisions and rules that could affect rural landusers, especially farmers,” Anita said. 

“The session on Tuesday will help provide information on this, which may be helpful to members of the public considering making a submission to the Environment Protection Authority (who have notified the plan changes) in support or opposition to what is being proposed.”

There will also be an opportunity for those attending to ask questions, either ahead of the meeting by email [email protected] or on the night. 

To join the meeting click here.