Otago Regional Council

Otago Regional Council We are responsible for sustainably managing Otago's natural resources on behalf of the community.

The Otago Regional Council’s role is to manage and protect Otago’s natural environment. Our community is diverse, and we strive to be a fair and inclusive organisation. Constructive thoughts, insights and views are welcome here, but like our environment, please ‘keep it clean’ on this page. With followers of all ages, please keep comments free from spam and/or offensive language, images, video, an

d abusive, defamatory or misinformation material. Threatening or defamatory comments towards ORC staff will not be tolerated. Administrators of this page will hide comments or ban users who breach these house rules. All comments are a person’s own responsibility, and not endorsed by ORC. All comments are a person’s own responsibility and not endorsed by ORC. The Otago Regional Council's page (and its other social media pages) must not be used for electioneering purposes. Any post — positive or negative — made by any individual specifically relating to their own — or someone else's — nomination, intention to run for Council or election campaign, will be removed immediately.

Many wood-burning households have a person in charge of the fire or someone who lights it best. 🔥 Who is it in your hous...
15/06/2026

Many wood-burning households have a person in charge of the fire or someone who lights it best. 🔥

Who is it in your house? Mum? Dad? Or do you have a young wood-burner wizard in the making?

Comment below to go in the draw to WIN a wood moisture meter!

This week’s tip ...

Don’t let a fire smoulder.🔥

To reduce smoke overnight, make sure you can still see flames when you turn your fire down.

You can also reduce smoke by using dry firewood.

How can you tell if the firewood you have is dry enough to burn, though?

By using a wood moisture meter!

It will quickly tell you whether your firewood has an ideal moisture content of less than 25%.

You can find other Burn Dry, Breathe Easy tips here:
👉orc.govt.nz/burndry

The giveaway closes 5pm this Friday, 19 June.

Winner will be drawn next Monday, 22 June. 😊

Let’s take care in what we burn for a healthier community and environment. 💚

Tag and share this handy advice with people you know who use firewood to keep warm.

Wood moisture meter giveaway terms and conditions:
orc.govt.nz/tsandcs

Got a great local project and need a funding boost? 💡💰✨ Come along to an online funding clinic — hear from, and chat wit...
11/06/2026

Got a great local project and need a funding boost? 💡💰✨

Come along to an online funding clinic — hear from, and chat with, different funders who could help get your project move further along or off the ground! 🚀

The awesome Central Lakes Trust team are hosting an online clinic (via Zoom) on Thursday, 18 June, 12-1.30pm — and we’ll be there too! 👋

Learn more about our ECO Fund supporting projects that protect, enhance, or promote Otago’s beautiful environment. 🌱🐦

Find online funding clinic details:
👉 facebook.com/share/1DySSvAJDB/

Whether you're a local community group or a private landowner, just starting out or already deep into your project, this is a great chance to connect, ask questions, and find local support.

See you online!

📣 Share and tag a friend or group who may need some funding with their community project.

One room, 30+ locals and a massive vision for the Dunedin and coastal environment. ✨ Last week, more than 30 people gath...
10/06/2026

One room, 30+ locals and a massive vision for the Dunedin and coastal environment. ✨

Last week, more than 30 people gathered for the first Dunedin Coastal Catchments Integrated Catchment Group meeting, marking the start of creating a Catchment Action Plan for the area.

The community, along with representatives from mana whenua, fishing, forestry, farming, conservation and many other sectors brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and local insight to the table.

Together, we started exploring the values that matter most in this area — reflecting on how they looked in the past, how they look today and what we want future generations to inherit.

There was real enthusiasm for working together across communities, projects and priorities to achieve better environmental outcomes; there is a shared commitment to the long-term health and wellbeing of our environment and communities. 🙌

Wait — what’s a Catchment Action Plan? 🤔

A catchment is an area where all water flows to the same river, lake, or coastline, and a Catchment Action Plan defines the area of the catchment or connected catchments the community will focus on.

These plans take a whole-of-catchment approach to caring for our environment, from the mountains to the sea (ki uta ki tai). They build on the great work already being done by iwi, communities, catchment groups and local government, helping coordinate efforts across fresh water, land, soils, coastal environments and the values that matter most to local people.

Because what happens upstream affects everything downstream, environmental issues need to be tackled together rather than in isolation.

Learn more about the work to enhance the Dunedin Coastal areas:
👉 orc.govt.nz/dunedincoastalcap

10/06/2026

Tumbling down a rabbit hole not knowing how to control rabbits? 😵‍💫

Doing a bit here and there won’t work when it comes to controlling rabbits.

What’s the best way to control these pests?

Have a solid rabbit management plan! 📝🎯

A good plan helps you stay focused on the tasks and actions for effective rabbit management.

Not sure where to start? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍

No worries – we've got you. 🤝

We’ve got the info and template you need to create a rabbit management plan that works for you.

Start your rabbit management plan now:
👉 orc.govt.nz/managerabbits

Know someone who needs a hand? Tag them below to help them land on their feet! 👇

Our groundwater monitoring network is expanding in the Hāwea area! ✨This is a series of sites across Otago with bores (w...
09/06/2026

Our groundwater monitoring network is expanding in the Hāwea area! ✨

This is a series of sites across Otago with bores (wells) where we monitor and sample groundwater quarterly to determine its suitability for drinking and other uses.

👷‍♂️A large drill rig, like the one in the photo below, is in Hāwea this week and part of next week.

It’s there to install two new groundwater monitoring wells, which will help us better understand local groundwater resources and how they support the community and the environment. 💚

One of the new wells is being drilled at the Hāwea Cemetery. While the location might seem unusual, it has been carefully chosen to help our scientists better understand the relationship between groundwater and Lake Hāwea, including how groundwater levels respond to changes in the lake.

The second well is being installed in the Maungawera Valley, where it will fill an important gap in our groundwater monitoring network. This area has been identified as having an aquifer — an underground reservoir that stores groundwater in rock, gravel, sand or silt — but until now, we haven't had a dedicated monitoring site there.

Once installed, the wells will allow us to track groundwater levels over time.

At the Maungawera Valley site, we will also collect quarterly water samples to see if the groundwater is suitable for drinking and stock water.

The information gathered from these sites will help build a clearer picture of Otago's groundwater resources and support informed decision-making for the future.

So, if you’re in the Hāwea area this week and see a drill rig, ORC vehicles, or a small monitoring cabinet being installed, you'll know what we're up to!

💧 Learn more about groundwater and why it's important:
👉 orc.govt.nz/groundwater

Don’t burn toxic material! 🚫Don’t burn wet or green firewood, treated wood or household rubbish (e.g. plastics and wrapp...
08/06/2026

Don’t burn toxic material! 🚫

Don’t burn wet or green firewood, treated wood or household rubbish (e.g. plastics and wrappers, glossy papers, and metals).

They can release harmful toxins into the air, making respiratory diseases such as asthma worse and even contributing to heart problems.

Coal also releases harmful toxins when burned.

Dry firewood is the best thing to burn.

How can you tell if the firewood you have is dry enough to burn, though?

By using a wood moisture meter!

It will quickly tell you whether your firewood has an ideal moisture content of less than 25%.

And we have another moisture meter for you to WIN this week!

Simply comment with two health problems that burning wet wood can contribute to, and be in the draw to win a wood moisture meter!

The giveaway closes 5pm this Friday, 12 June.

Winner will be drawn next Monday, 15 June. 😊

You can find other Burn Dry, Breathe Easy tips here:
👉orc.govt.nz/burndry

Let’s take care in what we burn for a healthier community and environment. 💚

Tag and share this handy advice with people you know who use firewood to keep warm.

Wood moisture meter giveaway terms and conditions:
orc.govt.nz/tsandcs

Have your say on the future of local government.The Government is introducing significant reform for local government. H...
08/06/2026

Have your say on the future of local government.

The Government is introducing significant reform for local government. Have your say on what matters most to you when it comes to reform and the future of local government in your area.

Share your views at: www.otagomayors.org.nz

Survey closes Sunday 14 June.

05/06/2026

🌏 Today is World Environment Day, and a good time to reflect on the air we breathe. 💨

The Air Quality National Picture 2026 released today by LAWA shows air quality is improving in many parts of New Zealand — most monitored towns and cities are recording better air quality over the past decade.

This annual snapshot provides an overview of air quality across the country, including updated data from regional councils, analysis and an interactive map of individual monitoring sites.

In Otago, we're seeing some signs of progress, with long-term trends showing improvements in some communities. 📈

Winter air pollution remains a challenge in several Otago towns, where smoke from home heating can become trapped by cold, still conditions. Some communities continue to exceed national air quality standards, and poor air quality can have real impacts on people's health.

That's why we continue to invest in air quality monitoring, providing the data that helps communities, scientists, Council and the public understand what's happening and where action is needed.

Cleaner air starts with understanding the problem — and that begins with good monitoring and reliable data. 💙

If you have a wood burner, you can help make a difference in your community’s local air quality

🎥 Check out the video below to see how a simple step like burning dry wood can help improve local air quality and reduce winter smoke pollution.

Read the LAWA Air Quality National Picture 2026:
👉 lawa.org.nz/explore-data/air-quality

Tag and share with friends and family who you think would like to know more about our regional picture of air quality in Otago.

How should Otago’s pests be managed? 🤔 Come to our community drop-in sessions for a chat! 📢 We’re reviewing Otago’s Regi...
05/06/2026

How should Otago’s pests be managed? 🤔

Come to our community drop-in sessions for a chat! 📢

We’re reviewing Otago’s Regional Pest Management Plan. 📝🎯

This plan identifies pests in Otago and establishes pest rules and goals.

Our previous survey asked Otago communities which pests worried them — and the top five were:

• rabbits
• feral cats
• possums
• wilding conifers
• mustelids (like ferrets, stoats, weasels)

NOW, we want to know how you think these pests (and more) should be managed in Otago.

Come along to a drop-in session to share your thoughts — chat with our biosecurity and policy teams and ask questions.

🗓️ We have eight sessions across Otago, starting in Dunedin on Monday, 15 June. We also have an online session on 30 June.

To find out more about the drop-in sessions or to give your feedback online:
👉 orc.govt.nz/pestfeedback

It’s your chance to help shape the pest plan for Otago.

Feedback closes Monday, 8 July.

🔗 Don't let your communities miss out on having their say about how pests could be managed in Otago — tag them in the comments and share the info about the drop-in sessions!

03/06/2026

Stop rabbits gatecrashing your backyard! 🐰🎉🚫

A proper rabbit-netted fence is the ultimate bouncer for your backyard, keeping these ‘party animals’ out and keep them out.

If you're ready to shut them down for good, we’ve got the rabbit-netted fencing advice to help you get started. 🛠️

Find out how to stop rabbits from gatecrashing your backyard:
👉 orc.govt.nz/managerabbits

Spread the word about using rabbit-netted fencing – tag and share this info with your community. 👇

Address

180 High Street
Dunedin
9016

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+64800474082

Website

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