UPPER CLUTHA CONSERVATION FORUM

Otago Regional Water Plan - opportunity for feedback

The quality of our lakes and rivers, monitoring and future use were highlighted as areas of importance in the Upper Clutha Conservation Report, Upper Clutha Transport Report, Arrowtown and Glenorchy Community Reports and Queenstown Transport.  ORC are currently changing their Water Plan.  Please see the information below on how you can get involved. 

We are developing a change to Otago’s Regional Plan Water (Water Plan) to manage the amount of water in the Clutha/Mata-au, its lakes and main upper catchment tributaries. This includes setting minimum flows and allocation limits for the Clutha/Mata-au, Kawarau and Hawea Rivers and levels and allocation limits for Lakes Wakatipu, Wanaka, Hawea, Dunstan and Roxburgh.

Before we notify a proposed plan change to the Water Plan, we are holding a series of three community consultation sessions over the coming months to develop the plan change. The feedback we receive from the community at these sessions will help us develop the plan change.

The first sessions are between 22 November and 5 December 2017, where we will be asking what’s important for you about the Clutha/Mata-au, Kawarau and Hawea Rivers and Lakes Wakatipu, Wanaka, Hawea, Dunstan and Roxburgh and the availability of water for diverse uses and values. At the start of each session there will be a brief presentation, and following that ORC staff will be available to talk one to one with people. 

SESSION DETAILS:

If you can’t attend a session, you can check out the information online and submit your feedback there from 22 November or by post (Private Bag 1954, Dunedin 9054). To account for the upcoming holiday season, feedback closes at
5pm on Friday 19 January 2018. 

For more information go to www.orc.govt.nz/clutha, call 0800 474 082, or email clutha@orc.govt.nz.

Your feedback on what is important to you will help us develop options for the plan change.  We will consult with you again on these options, and again on a preferred option, before we notify a plan change to the Water Plan.

Upper Clutha Final Taskforce Report

Your vision for Conservation in the Upper Clutha is:

"We, the Upper Clutha community, know, value and care for our area’s fresh waters, clean air, indigenous biodiversity and landscapes, and accept the shared responsibility to work together to ensure these are sustained and enhanced.

Our freshwaters and air are of unspoiled quality. The full natural range of indigenous biodiversity and ecosystems are present and flourishing.

The Upper Clutha is renowned for its landscapes expressing its unique and diverse natural character. The perpetuation of these natural resources is recognised as fundamental to our well-being and prosperity and as an integral part of our everyday lives." 

Included in the final report are 5 key recommendations to achieving the vision for conservation.

FINAL REPORT