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Climate strategies
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ORC has an aspiration for Otago to be a climate–resilient region that plans for and invests in initiatives that reduce emissions and help us adapt to our changing climate.
Climate change will impact all areas of our lives. Risks to be aware of include those to our natural environment, communities, economy, built environment, and governance structures.
The ongoing survival and success of Otago’s unique species and the ecosystems they rely on is at risk from climate change, as the environment faces increasing temperatures, changes in rainfall, snow and ice, flooding, extreme weather events, drought and ocean acidification.
For buildings, physical infrastructure, and transport, there are already a number of climate hazards and risks, including the ability of our infrastructure and open spaces to cope in the face of changing and extreme weather, sea-level rise and flooding. Many risks relate to reliability of our water supply infrastructure and irrigation systems, and stormwater and wastewater networks.
Governance (our structures and processes for decision making) face several risks from climate change and its impacts. There is the risk that existing planning and legislative frameworks may hinder an effective, long-term, focused response to the challenges of climate change. Another risk is that costs will rise due to climate change impacts, leading to insufficient funding for adaptation and risk reduction.
Climate change brings risks to community cohesion, human health and mental wellbeing from disrupted services, possible migration, housing and livelihood stresses, and other impacts such as food insecurity. Climate change impacts are not spread evenly, which also increases existing inequities and costs of living. Kāi Tahu cultural sites and practices and other cultural heritage sites also face risks from sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and increased wildfire.
There are wide and varied risks from climate change to the Otago economy, as the economy is closely linked to the community, natural environment, and built environment. Risks relate to the impacts of extreme weather, changing temperatures, and drought on the agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and tourism sectors, among others. Also, there are risks of rising costs of doing business, and costs associated with repair and adaptation.
Different areas of Otago will experience vastly different changes due to the changing climate. We can expect:
Health impacts on communities dealing with the change, both physical and mental.
Extreme weather and flooding can damage homes, buildings, and recreation areas.
Hotter, drier weather and changes in wind patterns will increase fire risks.
Rising sea levels can cause floods and impact coastal communities and places of cultural significance.
Economic impacts can impact jobs and the costs of doing business.
Warmer temperatures will impact crops and animals, increase pests and diseases, and impact water storage.
ORC is part of a wider network of people and organisations working to address climate change. This network includes government, mana whenua, other councils, businesses, and communities. We will be affected by climate change in different ways and have specific roles in addressing climate change.
Climate change is already at the core of our everyday work. ORC’s Strategic Directions 2024–2034 guide our work to support the health, safety, and wellbeing of our communities. Many of these directions relate to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Most of ORC’s climate change responsibilities relate to adaptation. According to the Resource Management Act, regional councils are required to consider the effects of a changing climate on communities and incorporate climate change into existing frameworks, plans, projects, and standard decision-making procedures.
Mitigation is also important to how we work at ORC. We have begun work to reduce our emissions, and will support others to do the same.
In developing our Climate Strategy, we received feedback from mana whenua and key stakeholders to understand what they are doing regarding climate change and how ORC can align our work, so our roles are complementary.
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Our work towards this goal includes reviewing environmental and rainfall monitoring networks to check they are fit for purpose and to see if more climate information should be collected.
We are developing models to test how well flood schemes in East Taieri, West Taieri, Lower Clutha, and Tokomairiro can cope with climate change. Our network of real-time rainfall and water-level stations operates with 24/7 support to assist forecasting and emergency response. We also collect data on coasts, rivers, landslides, and sea-level rise to better understand climate impacts.
We are working with councils so that civil defence and emergency planning reflects local risks. This includes carrying out a regional natural hazards risk assessment, keeping a register of contaminated sites and advocating for action on those at risk from climate change.
We are expanding biosecurity programmes to manage pests, and through the ECO Fund we continue to support projects that improve ecosystems and protect native biodiversity.
• Work through Emergency Management Otago to support mana whenua-led approaches to emergency readiness and response by co-funding a two-year emergency management mana whenua facilitator.
• Collaborate with Dunedin City Council on the South Dunedin Futures work programme by providing risk assessments, natural hazard investigations, environmental monitoring of groundwater, sea level and rainfall, and supporting the identification and execution of adaptation options.
• Work through Emergency Management Otago to raise community awareness of climate hazards and how to prepare, including through the community response network, which provides training and resources to support communities' capabilities and capacity to manage emergency events.
• Support mana whenua in undertaking climate change risk assessments and managing the exposure and vulnerability of taonga by providing technical information and guidance as needed.
• Collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils to build on the Otago Climate Change Risk Assessment to provide valuable adaptation information for the region.
• Collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils to co-design community education messaging on adaptation needs for the region.
• Provide adaptation planning support to mana whenua at a rūnaka level.
• Ensure that Catchment Action Plans for different freshwater management units include identification of climate adaptation needs.
• Review the Otago Lifelines Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment to inform ongoing emergency management work.
• Collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils to develop shared adaptation priorities based on a consistent risk assessment framework, and to agree on consistent use of dynamic adaptive pathways planning.
• Collaborate with Queenstown Lakes District Council on adaptation needs, including regarding wildfire risk on Mount Iron, Ben Lomond and other red zone locations and Gorge Road alluvial fan risk.
• Collaborate with Queenstown Lakes District Council on the Head of Lake Whakatipu Natural Hazard Adaptation Strategy to inform adaptation in Glenorchy and Kinloch, considering climate and other natural hazard risks.
• Collaborate with Waitaki District Council on adaptation projects and initiatives for Waitaki coastal risk assessment and management.
• Develop drainage models for assessing scheme capacity against the impacts of climate change (East Taieri, West Taieri, Lower Clutha and Tokomairiro).
• Collaborate with Clutha District Council on a multi-hazard adaptation strategy, including reviewing the Lower Clutha Flood Protection scheme regarding engineering solutions compared to retreat, and considering adaptation risks relating to the wider Clutha Delta, including monitoring sea and groundwater levels and shoreline change.
• Develop the Lower Taieri Plains Adaptation Strategy, which reviews the flood protection schemes and the impacts
of increased climate impacts and natural hazard risks on existing infrastructure, including floodbanks, drainage systems and pump station adequacy.
• Conduct an organisational climate change risk assessment (following the agreed regional framework) to scope the risk levels to various ORC assets, infrastructure and operations.
• Ensure ORC’s budgeting process builds in climate assumptions, including emergency funds for repairing/replacing infrastructure and reviewing adaptation needs for ORC infrastructure.
• Investigate adaptation needs as part of the Leith to Harbour Amenity Project.
• Ensure that climate-related impacts are understood when developing the proposed Regional Plan: Land and Water, and revising the Regional Plan: Coast.
• Ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation policies are embedded in the Regional Policy Statement and Future Development Strategies and these reflect the natural hazard and climate impacts and risks for the region.
• Advocate to central government for legislation to support local government with managed retreat and other adaptation actions.
• Act as a conduit between Fire and Emergency NZ and research institutes to understand how we can best use regulatory settings and regional relationships to manage increased wildfire risk for the region.
• Develop an organisational emissions inventory.
• Develop and implement an organisational emissions reduction plan.
• Support and collaborate with the Zero Carbon Alliance and Otago Climate Officers Group to understand
shared emissions reduction priorities and ensure we’re coordinating on common emissions reduction pathways and utilising common tools and methodologies.
• Participate in the Enviroschools programme to promote environmentally friendly behaviour change in Otago communities.
• Collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils to fund the Regional Waste Officer role (employed by DCC) to pursue opportunities for regional-level approaches to waste management including resource recovery, waste reduction at source and sludge management.
• Develop consistent assumptions on climate projections for Otago to underlie all ORC work.
• Collaborate with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, National Public Health Service and the region’s city and district councils to explore and better understand the impacts of climate change on human health, and explore how to incorporate these considerations into decision making.
• Develop an Otago Natural Hazards Adaptation Plan.
• Revise ORC's Biodiversity Strategy and ensure it is aligned to this strategy and factors in increased climate impacts and natural hazard risks and sets out actions ORC will deliver to enhance Otago's biodiversity.
• Ensure that climate-related impacts and opportunities are understood when revising other regional plans.
• Provide education and advice through catchment advisor programmes to increase knowledge and interest in environmental issues and build community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
• Engage with landowners in Otago to understand existing knowledge about nature-based solutions for water quality and flood hazard mitigation outcomes, with a view to exploring barriers and benefits for adoption at an individual property level.
• Provide efficient, reliable and accessible public transport services to meet community needs.
• Decarbonise the public transport fleet.
• Coordinate public transport services with school travel plans.
• Explore opportunities to support decarbonisation through the Total Mobility Scheme.
• Undertake total mobility survey, bus user survey and annual survey to understand current modes of transport and community views on reliability, equitability, sustainability and safety.
• Collaborate with Otago’s city and district councils to reduce car use and encourage public transport uptake through traffic demand management initiatives such as parking plans, active transport, micro-mobility and carpooling.
• Submit on consent applications at the district level to maximise potential integration with the public transport network.
• Develop and implement a public and active transport connectivity strategy to encourage active modes of travel and reduce vehicle emissions.
Te hurika o te āhuaraki Climate change
Earth experiences natural changes in its climate, the rate of these changes. The impacts we observe today are the result of historical emissions, and the increase in emissions in recent decades will lead to significant change in the coming years.
Te whakahaere o kā mōrea māori Managing natural hazards
Natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, coastal erosion, and landslides, can harm communities. Learn how the Council works to identify risks and help communities coordinate, prepare, respond in emergencies and recover.
Otago climate change risk assessment
Climate affects much of what we do in Otago, from horticulture in Central Otago to land drainage in Clutha delta. Climate change therefore does not function separately to the work that we do; it is a key consideration in all that we do. We want Otago's communities to be aware of climate change and will work with them to adapt to its effects on our region.
