The provisions being made operative are the rural discharge provisions set out in the following parts of Plan Change 8:

• Part A: Discharge policies;
• Part B: Animal waste storage and application;
• Part C: Good farming practices;
• Part D: Intensive grazing;
• Part E: Stock access to water; and
• Part F: Sediment traps.

The Environment Court issued its decisions on Plan Change 8 (Discharge management) on 31 January 2022 (Decision No. [2022] NZEnvC 6) and 21 April 2022 (Decision No. [2022] NZEnvC 67).  The Council approved the provisions under clause 17(2) of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and resolved to make these provisions operative under clause 20A of Schedule 1.

The provisions in Part G: Sediment from earthworks for residential development and Part H: Nationally or regionally important infrastructure are still subject to a decision of the Environment Court and therefore remain proposed.

The Regional Plan: Water for Otago as amended by partially operative Plan Change 8 will be available on Otago Regional Council’s website and can be viewed at public libraries throughout Otago from 4 June 2022. 

Anita Dawe

General Manager Policy and Science

Signed on behalf of the Otago Regional Council

Saturday, 28 May 2022