Otago's urban freshwater could be better managed if the Otago Regional Council focused on smaller geographical management areas when it sets pollution limits or sets up monitoring sites, Dunedin City Council staff say. City council staff raised concerns about the existing "freshwater management unit" areas used by the regional council in a proposed submission to the regional council’s guide for Otago waterways to be presented at today’s full council meeting. The city council said the current Dunedin Coast freshwater management unit area could be too large to be effective. Due to the large size of the Clutha/Mata-Au area, that management unit was divided into five sub-areas, or rohe, for a more tailored and area-appropriate water management approach. Aside from reviewing the boundaries of the existing management areas, the city council called for management that made sure there was enough water in a water body to provide for its health.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 23, 2020 15:36 UTC