Gerrard EckhoffIt is wrongly assumed the Otago Regional Council (ORC) has total control over the administration of rivers, lakes, and fresh water. It is unrealistic to expect all of the above to agree on water management during a regional council's nebulous consultation phase. Every submitter to a council plan promotes their own cause as having a higher standing than all others. A new concept of a river authority consisting of representatives of competing interests in any given river or water body is worth exploring. In 2010, the Waikato River Authority was set up with funding of $220 million over 30 years as part of the Tainui Treaty settlement.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 26, 2018 15:56 UTC