ORC councillors are being asked to endorse the use of a draft Natural Hazards Adaptation Strategy for the Head of Lake Whakatipu area for public feedback, at a council meeting this week.

Otago Regional Council General Manager Science and Resilience Tom Dyer says the detailed draft Strategy report is comprehensive and brings together technical, social, and strategic information which has been gathered during the last four years.

“This Strategy is a result of all the work we have done to date to understand the hazards in this area. It’s a holistic natural hazards strategy, which means we have considered lots of different types of responses that contribute towards natural hazards management.”

The full draft strategy is due to go a Council meeting in Dunedin on Wednesday, 4 December. The draft strategy is now available online in the Agenda.

Councillors are being asked to consider endorsing the detailed draft strategy report, and a feedback document. The feedback document includes a summary that gives readers an introduction to the main ideas outlined in the detailed strategy, and a public feedback survey.

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Mr Dyer says the Head of Lake Whakatipu area, which includes the townships of Glenorchy and Kinloch and the Dart and Rees River floodplains, is exposed to a complex range of natural hazards including flooding from the lake or rivers, landslides, and earthquake-related hazards.

“These natural hazards are relatively frequent and can be disruptive, and climate and landscape changes could make some of these natural hazards worse.”

The draft summary report highlights two major natural hazards, flooding and seismic hazards, and discusses their associated impacts or consequences to the community as well as critical infrastructure. Other natural hazards are discussed in the draft detailed report.

“The vision of the Strategy is a resilient and sustainable Head of Lake Whakatipu, where proactive natural hazard and climate adaptation enhance community wellbeing and safety. Resilience in our context is the capacity and ability to plan for, withstand, and recover quickly from difficult conditions,” says Mr Dyer.

“The Strategy also outlines five goals with specific objectives to help achieve this vision, as well as an action plan and activities, and future potential responses to support the community to adapt to natural hazard risks and climate change impacts. These are what we are asking the community to give us feedback on.”

ORC has taken a collaborative approach and has been working closely with the community, Queenstown Lakes District Council, mana whenua, and Emergency Management Otago toward a more resilient future for the area.

“We’ve carried out a series of activities to support the development of this Strategy, including community engagement sessions and technical studies,” says Mr Dyer.

“The Strategy is the result of collective effort and belongs to everyone. Each community member in the Head of Lake Whakatipu area has a role to play in making the area safer and more resilient.”

The feedback period runs from 10am, Thursday 5 December to 11.59pm, Sunday 23 February 2025.

Mr Dyer says, “All feedback will be considered by ORC and used to improve the Strategy to make it practical and effective.” 

Sustainably managing natural hazard risks and adapting to climate change are a challenge facing many parts of New Zealand. ORC is working on range of natural hazard adaptation programmes in Otago, including Head of Lake Whakatipu and in South Dunedin, he says.

Next steps

There will be different ways to provide feedback. Details will be available from 10am, Thursday, 5 December on ORC’s website.

Planning is underway for community engagement in February 2025 to present the draft adaptation strategy and seek further feedback. The revised Strategy is expected to be released in the first half of 2025. 

Background to programme

The Head of Lake Whakatipu natural hazards adaptation programme provides a framework that will help manage the risks associated with natural hazards at the Head of Lake Whakatipu, including Glenorchy and Kinloch. The aim of the programme is to make the area more resilient. 

The setting at the Head of the Lake means we need to take a comprehensive approach to managing the hazards, one that takes a long-term view, encompasses all types of natural hazards, and works with the community to develop resilience. 

The hazards include hazards associated with floodplains and alluvial fans, such as flooding and erosion, along with seismic and geological hazards. Some hazards are expected to change over time, and they may become more likely or have greater impacts due to changes in the landscape or climate.

This programme uses an approach called Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning (also referred to as DAPP, or “Adaptation Pathways”). This approach was developed by the Ministry for the Environment as a blueprint for community-led decision-making in areas affected by natural events and climate change.

This is a hazard management approach developed specifically to help plan and adapt for situations where the future is uncertain – it allows for flexible and adaptive decision-making, and for planning even when there may be uncertainty about the timing or impacts of future changes. It’s an approach that helps develop long-term responses to natural hazards affected by environmental changes. 

More information about the programme is available on https://www.orc.govt.nz/get-involved/projects-in-your-area/head-of-lake-whakatipu/

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