The Otago Regional Council is still waiting on confirmation from Minsters about whether it can use the exemption pathway for its water permit deadlines.

Unintended consequences of the regional council not being able to notify its Land and Water Regional Plan last year were being worked through with the Ministry for the Environment.

But Cr Michael Laws questioned staff last week about whether they had a back up plan if the Government was not favourable.

Chief executive Richard Saunders said they have continued engagement with MfE officials including sharing technical information, and they have gone back to brief Minister Penny Simmonds.

But the Budget process was currently taking priority, and there had been no recent updates, he said.

“Are you hoping to change the minds of Ministers and haven’t got a Plan B?” Cr Laws questioned.

Staff told the regional council at its last meeting in Queenstown there has been several unintended consequences for ORC in performing its function to sustainably manage freshwater. 

They related to continuing with the current planning framework and were a particular issue for managing rural diffuse discharges and water quantity in Otago.

The council asked Minister Simmonds to make a legislative amendment to existing water permits so their expiry date was after the new plan was operative, overriding the existing December 31 date and extending it to 2031.

The Government’s National Policy Statement on Fresh Water (NPS:FM) was being consulted on this year, and the regional council was hopeful they would get a good outcome.

The regional council has already spent $20 million on its original land and water plan and expected it would take another five years for the new one.

“But we not actively working on a Plan B or committing staff resources at this time,” Richard said,

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