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Proposed Water Quality Plan Changes
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Otago Regional Council made Plan Change 8 operative on Saturday 3 September 2022.
Regional Plan: Water for Otago
The Regional Plan: Water for Otago (the Water Plan) assists us in managing Otago's water resources.
Public notice: Regional Plan: Water for Otago
The Otago Regional Council gives public notice that Plan Change 8 (Discharge management) to the Regional Plan: Water for Otago will become operative from 3 September 2022.
The Environment Court released its decision on Plan Change 8 (urban topics) on 14 June 2022. No appeals were made.
The Council amended the provisions as directed by the Environment Court under clause 16(1) of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.
The Plan change and Environment Court Decision can be viewed below.
June 2022
PDF | 1 MB
Proposed Plan Change 8 (Discharge management) As amended by Environment Court Decision No. [2022] NZEnvC.101 Clean version 14 June 2022
June 2022
PDF | 1 MB
Proposed Plan Change 8 (Discharge management). As amended by Environment Court Decision No. [2022] NZEnvC.101 Track changes version 14 June 2022
June 2022
PDF | 1 MB
notice of motion under s149T(2) to decide proposed Plan Change 8 to the Regional Plan: Waste for Otago
The provisions are set out in the following parts of Plan Change 8:
- Part A: Urban discharge policies
- Part G: Sediment from earthworks for residential development
- Part H: Nationally or regionally important infrastructure
The public notice can be seen here.
Plan Change 1 amends the Regional Plan: Waste for Otago by:
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prohibiting the use of waste oil as a dust suppressant and encouraging the use of other safer alternatives
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improving the policy direction for establishing and managing certain classes of landfill to reflect current best practice and contribute towards improving water quality in Otago.
The operative Plan Change can be viewed here.
The updated Regional Plan: Waste for Otago can be viewed here
The Environment Court released its decisions on 30 November 2021, 4 March 2022 and 30 May 2022. The Court’s decisions were not appealed.
The Environment Court Decisions can be viewed here.
Further information about dust suppressants can be viewed here.
The provisions 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
- Part F: Sediment traps
The partially operative plan change can be viewed here.
The updated Regional Plan Water for Otago can be viewed here.
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 Environment Court released its decisions on the rural discharge provisions of the plan change on 31 January 2022 and 21 April 2022. The Court’s decisions were not appealed.
We acknowledge the input of the many submitters to Plan Change 8 and the collaborative approach all parties took at the Environment Court proceedings.
The Council resolved to prepare Proposed PC8 to the Water Plan along with Proposed PC1 to the Regional Plan: Waste for Otago (Waste Plan), together referred to as the “Omnibus Plan Change,” in August 2019. The overall purpose of the Omnibus Plan Change was to strengthen the management of activities that result in discharges of contaminants to water which are known to contribute to water quality issues. The aim was to improve water quality in Otago.
The Omnibus Plan Change was “called in” by the Minister for the Environment on 8 April 2020 and referred to the Environment Court for decision under section 142(2) of the RMA. The plan change was then notified by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on 6 July 2020. A summary of submissions and further submissions can be viewed on the epa.govt.nz page.
To make mediation and expert conferencing easier, the Environment Court decided to hear PC1 and PC8 separately, and to separate PC8 into two parts – the primary sector and the urban provisions. The Environment Court hearings on the plan change have been completed.
For information about Environment Court hearings on Plan Change 8.
For information about Environment Court hearings on Plan Change 1.
