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, and 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.

📣 Final week to have your say on Lower Clutha and Lower Taieri flood protection and drainage rates! 💧 Proposed changes m...
20/09/2026

📣 Final week to have your say on Lower Clutha and Lower Taieri flood protection and drainage rates! 💧

Proposed changes mean that, generally, urban properties would see an increase in rates, while many rural properties would see a decrease. These changes better reflect the benefits properties receive.

The proposal includes changes to:
• how flood protection and drainage costs are shared
• the scheme boundaries
• how some properties are rated.

👉 Visit orc.govt.nz/schemerates to check how your property’s 2027–28 rates may be affected, view the proposed changes and make a submission.

⏰ Submissions have now been extended and close 11.59pm Friday, 25 September.

Know someone who might live within one of the Lower Clutha or Lower Taieri flood protection and drainage scheme boundaries? Tag them in this post or share it with a neighbour or friend so they can check how the proposed changes may affect them.

Don’t miss the chance to have your say before submissions close:
👉 orc.govt.nz/schemerates

Clutha District Council Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board Outram family community

What’s the story behind 'repo’? 🌿🤔Repo is the te reo word for wetland.As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week wr...
20/09/2026

What’s the story behind 'repo’? 🌿🤔

Repo is the te reo word for wetland.

As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week wraps up, we celebrate the stories behind words that help us better understand our history and environment.

Repo are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. They include bogs, swamps, fens, shallow water and saltmarshes. They are found from the coast to the high country.

For mana whenua, repo have long been places of abundance.

Repo are mahika kai (food and other resource gathering sites) and sources of mātauraka (knowledge) essential to the livelihoods and wellbeing of our communities and local marae, hapū, and iwi.

As well as supporting people, repo support the wider environment:

💧 They’re nature’s filters (like kidneys): they scrub our water clean by trapping sediment, reducing nutrients and toxic compounds before they hit our lakes and sea.

🛡️ They’re a safety net: just like a giant sponge, repo soak up heavy rain, helping to protect your homes and farms from flooding.

🐦 They’re a wildlife and biodiversity sanctuary: repo provide a ‘fancy hotel’ for many rare birds, plants, reptiles, insects and native fish that you won't find in many places in Otago (or even in other parts of Aotearoa New Zealand).

🌍 They fight climate change: they are incredible at capturing and storing carbon.

We have lost 90% of our repo across the country over the last 150 years.

Fortunately, there are many amazing Otago landowners and community groups putting in the mahi to restore these unique spots — groups like Thomsons Catchment Project, Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau - Sinclair Wetlands and Friends of Bullock Creek, who work tirelessly to restore and enhance their local wetland areas.

Let’s continue working together to protect and enhance Otago’s environment. 💚

Learn more about repo and their importance:
👉 orc.govt.nz/wetlands

Caring for our waterways is something many Otago communities take part in, one water sample at a time. 💧Monitoring helps...
18/09/2026

Caring for our waterways is something many Otago communities take part in, one water sample at a time. 💧

Monitoring helps us understand what’s happening in our rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, estuaries and even groundwater.

Our Environmental Monitoring team samples over 100 sites for water quality across Otago — monitoring for things like:
💧 Water temperature and oxygen levels (to see how healthy habitats are for creatures like fish and insects)
💧 Nutrients (to check for pollution pressures)
💧 Fish numbers and species in the water
💧 Bacteria and algae

Water monitoring isn't just carried out by our team, it is also done at a community level.

As it’s World Water Monitoring Day, we also want to highlight the catchment groups, environmental organisations, schools, landowners and community volunteers who all play an important role in monitoring local waterways. These grassroots efforts help build a bigger picture of water health and encourage people to connect with and care for their local environment. 💙

Aroha Kaikorai Valley does local stream health checks and teaches representatives from businesses along the valley how to look after the stream and biodiversity in their neighbourhood.

Local volunteer group Ecotago teaches high school students how to assess water quality and understand the different types of macroinvertebrates (small animals without backbones) found in Tomohaka / Tomahawk Lagoon – healthy macroinvertebrates mean the water quality is good!

Farmers are doing annual stream health assessments with our catchment advisor team to make sure their streams are healthy to support life (such as macroinvertebrates).

A massive shout out to all the volunteers out there doing the mahi for their local waterways! 🙌

What’s ‘ki uta ki tai’? 🤔It’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week, and we are celebrating the stories behind wo...
16/09/2026

What’s ‘ki uta ki tai’? 🤔

It’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week, and we are celebrating the stories behind words and phrases that help us better understand our hītori (history) and taiao (environment). 🏞️

Ki uta ki tai means ‘from the mountains to the sea’.

It's more than a description of geography. It is about standing on the land and knowing the effects, both positive and negative, in every direction.

This thinking reflects the mātauraka (knowledge) that all environmental elements are interconnected and must be managed as such.

It is a way of understanding the natural environment, including how it functions, how climate changes may impact it, how people relate to it and how te taiao can be looked after appropriately.

Climate change is already affecting Otago’s landscapes and communities – and will continue to be shaped by a changing climate. 🌦

That’s why we have developed The Otago Climate Story: Ki Uta Ki Tai.

This new interactive tool will help people in Otago understand how our natural environments, towns, cities and communities will be affected by the changing climate.

The story follows the path of water, ki uta ki tai —from the mountains to the sea — revealing the impacts of a changing climate on our land, water and communities.

It also highlights what councils, communities and organisations are doing across the region to prepare for Otago’s future climate.

Check out The Otago Climate Story: Ki Uta Ki Tai now:
👉 orc.govt.nz/climatestory

Meet a farmer with a big heart for one of Otago’s smallest animals! 💙When you meet Phil Smith, it's clear his connection...
15/09/2026

Meet a farmer with a big heart for one of Otago’s smallest animals! 💙

When you meet Phil Smith, it's clear his connection to the land runs deep. A multi-generation farmer in Kye Burn with family ties reaching back to the early gold mining days, Phil has spent decades caring for the local land he calls home.

He's also become one of Otago's strongest champions for our native galaxiids. 🐟

Otago is a national hotspot for galaxiids, with more species here than any other part of New Zealand. Many of these species are under threat from trout and changes to their habitat.

Over many years, Phil has worked alongside our team to help protect these unique fish, advocating for their conservation and helping build understanding within the farming community. His willingness to share his experiences and support practical solutions has helped bridge the gap between conservation goals and farming realities.

Phil played an important role during our work in the S**g River catchment — this is part of our wider fish passage work programme identifying natural and man-made structures that affect fish movement. In the S**g River catchment, the focus was on understanding protective barriers that safeguard threatened galaxiid populations from trout invasions. By identifying and maintaining these barriers, we can help protect vulnerable galaxiid habitats. 🛡️

At a meeting held in a woolshed full of farmers, Phil spoke about the value of galaxiid conservation and the practical realities of working collaboratively with the regional council. Following that meeting, our team secured access to all the areas we needed to do our work in.

Last year, Phil partnered with fellow landowner Hamish MacKenzie and Tiaki Maniototo to create Aotearoa New Zealand’s first galaxiid sanctuary — Spec Creek Reserve. They fenced off the creek to protect the rare Central Otago roundhead galaxias, which live only in the Upper Taieri and Manuherekia catchments. They even built a car park, walking track and info signs so you can visit and check it out yourself.

It's a great example of what can be achieved when we all work together towards a shared goal. 🤝

Cheers, Phil, for your ongoing dedication to the local community and environment and for being such a strong advocate for our native wildlife. 👏

And you can learn more about Phil — check out a recent Country Calendar episode on TVNZ On Demand featuring his Kye Burn farm, blade shearing and galaxiid sanctuary work:
👉 www.tvnz.co.nz/player/tvepisode/country-calendar-s2026-e27-click-go-the-shears

Celebrating culture, connection and community at Otago Polyfest 2026! 🌺💙Delivered by Te Mana Āhua Ake Charitable Trust, ...
14/09/2026

Celebrating culture, connection and community at Otago Polyfest 2026! 🌺💙

Delivered by Te Mana Āhua Ake Charitable Trust, Polyfest is one of the region's largest and longest-running cultural events – it celebrates culture, language, leadership, community and wellbeing.

Thousands of performers, whānau and supporters gathered to enjoy the week-long event last week.

Our teams connected with people from across the takiwā (region), sharing information about our role and the work we do as a regional council – whether it's biosecurity, environmental monitoring, science, compliance, public transport and more.

A massive shout out to our teams, Ōtākou Enviroschools and the many communities across Otago who brought their energy, warmth and enthusiasm to the event. 🙌

14/09/2026

It's Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week and we are sharing some stories to celebrate! 😊

Meet Leisa. She is our Enviroschools Regional Coordinator Lead. 🌿

She started her haerenga (journey) in learning te reo many years ago — it has been both a fun and rewarding cultural experience! 😊

Check out Leisa’s experience learning te reo Māori. Ake ake ake — a forever language. Kia kaha te reo Māori. ❤️🖤❤️🖤

Community connections are often at the heart of good biosecurity. 🤝 Our Biosecurity Community Coordinator, James, recent...
13/09/2026

Community connections are often at the heart of good biosecurity. 🤝

Our Biosecurity Community Coordinator, James, recently hosted a gorse and broom workshop in Cardrona, bringing together local landowners and community members keen to learn more about managing these pest plants.

For James, community workshops are just as much about listening as they are about sharing information and hearing directly from the community.

The session sparked plenty of discussion around:
• Otago gorse and broom rules
• practical control options
• the role biocontrol can play in long-term management – this means using natural tools, like insects, to help keep pest plants in check. 🐞

Why are gorse and broom pests? 👎

They produce massive numbers of seeds, mature and grow rapidly, and can establish in a range of habitats.

These pests can form thick groups of bushes, outcompete native vegetation, prevent stock animals from grazing and are generally seen as a threat to the local environment and economy.

Other workshop discussions included:
• empowering community initiatives,
• better coordination between neighbours
• ways we as a regional council can continue to support local pest plant management through education and community involvement.

Biosecurity works best when communities, neighbours and landowners work together. 🤝

Learn more about gorse and broom and how to control these pests:
👉 orc.govt.nz/gorseandbroom

What happens to winter air quality once the sun goes down? ❄️ Our eight-week community science project in Hāwea and Wāna...
11/09/2026

What happens to winter air quality once the sun goes down? ❄️

Our eight-week community science project in Hāwea and Wānaka has wrapped up, with local households and students helping build a clearer picture of how winter air pollution moves through neighbourhoods and into homes. 🏡

Working alongside the Air Quality Collective, 47 households monitored air quality both inside and outside their homes, while a Year 3/4 class at Hāwea Flat School and a Year 5/6 class at Te Kura O Take Kārara also got hands-on with monitoring throughout the project.

Results are still being checked, but we can already see that:

🌫️ outdoor air quality varied a lot across the Wānaka and Hāwea basin, from low pollution levels in some areas to higher levels in others

🔥 home heating and rural burning could be major contributors, while some parts of the basin also have poor natural airflow, meaning smoke can become trapped

🏠 indoor air quality varied a lot between homes, with monitoring — including during the Albert Town fire — showing that homes don’t always protect people from outdoor smoke.

The Air Quality Collective is carefully going over the data before any conclusions are drawn, but these early insights are already helping us better understand local air quality in a community where we've historically had less monitoring information.

The learning doesn't stop here!

Together with Dr Longley from the Air Quality Collective, we’re holding community meetings in Hāwea and Wānaka to share these early findings with locals — come along if you can:

📌 Lake Hāwea Community Centre, Wednesday, 16 September | 6pm
📅 facebook.com/events/2074268990116259/

📌 Te Kura O Take Kārara in Wānaka, Thursday, 17 September| 6pm
📅 facebook.com/events/1075216054880916/

Learn more about this project and the air quality monitoring we do:
👉orc.govt.nz/ourair

What do you notice about the air on cold winter evenings where you live? Let us know in the comments below. 👇

Spotted in the wild — we’re gearing up for Oāmaru bus services starting on 1 October! 🚌🙌Our new bus service will provide...
10/09/2026

Spotted in the wild — we’re gearing up for Oāmaru bus services starting on 1 October! 🚌🙌

Our new bus service will provide a direct connection between Ōamaru and Dunedin seven days a week.

The quick details:
• Once daily return service seven days a week.
• Leaves North Ōamaru at 8.21am for the trip to Dunedin.
• Leaves Dunedin at 5.05pm for the trip to Ōamaru.
• Nine stops each way in Ōamaru including Eden Street and South Hill.
• Also stops in Maheno, Hampden, Palmerston, Waikouaiti and Waitati.

Fares for the new services are expected to be decided by Councillors in late September, and we’ll update the community after this.

Watch this space for more news closer to the launch date! 👀

Learn more about this new bus service and see the timetable which starts on Thursday, 1 October:
👉 orc.govt.nz/oamarubus

Tag and share this exciting info with your local North Otago mates and community!

Pictured below: a bus on Thames Street, Ōamaru.

Waitaki District Council Dunedin City Council POWA Waikouaiti Coast Community Board Waikouaiti Community Care Upper Waitaki Community News

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Otago Regional Council posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category