The Otago Regional Council (ORC) regional policy statement (RPS), which sets the direction for future management of Otago's natural and physical resources, will be notified today (Saturday June 26).

The RPS identifies the significant resource management issues for Otago, provides policy guidance, and helps to explain how national direction on resource management will be applied in Otago.

“The RPS outlines what we want for Otago, what’s stopping us achieving this, and how we will solve those problems,” ORC chair Andrew Noone said. 

“A considerable amount of work by staff, governance, and stakeholder reference groups has gone into this document, and I’m very proud of what’s been achieved in a tight timeframe.”

There will be a ten week consultation period on the plan, during which the public are invited to share their feedback.

The new RPS follows a review into the ORC’s freshwater management planning regime.

“This RPS is a major step towards implementing a fit for purpose planning framework to manage freshwater,” Andrew said.

“I’d encourage anyone interested in the future management of natural and physical resources in Otago to take a look at the proposed RPS and let us know what you think.”

After the consultation period, the RPS will go through a new freshwater planning process, involving a public hearing of submissions, conducted by a freshwater hearings panel.

The hearings panel will then make recommendations to the ORC. The council is required to consider those recommendations and may accept or reject them before issuing its decisions on the new RPS.

To find out more, view the proposed RPS and make a submission here from today until 3pm Friday September 3.

PHOTO: Wanaka App