We have led the development of a natural hazards adaptation strategy for the Head of Lake Whakatipu area. Have your say on the Draft Strategy that builds your community’s resilience, safety and wellbeing.
The Head of Lake Whakatipu Natural Hazards Adaptation Strategy (draft) establishes a long-term vision, goals, actions plans and ways of working to manage and adapt to natural hazards in the Head of Lake Whakatipu area.
The Strategy is developed to support the communities in the Head of Lake Whakatipu area address challenges posed by natural hazards.
It is a non-statutory plan. It does not have any decision-making power or create any obligations. It is intended to lay a good foundation, provide a common direction to support decision-making and effective adaptation in the area.
The Strategy takes a long-term view and encompasses all types of natural hazards. It is focused on adapting to natural hazards only, as it aligns with the capacities of the Strategy’s partner agencies: Otago Regional Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago.
This Strategy is intended to be a reference document designed to guide and support the Head of the Lake’s community, ORC and other agencies in preparing for and responding effectively to natural hazards impacts, both now and in the future.
Vision of the Strategy
The proposed 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 and contribute to a flourishing environment.
There are two documents, depending on how much detail you’d like to know:
- Detailed Report - Draft Natural Hazards Adaptation Strategy for the Head of Lake Whakatipu – this report is comprehensive and brings together technical, social and strategic information that has been gathered over the last five years. You can download and read the detailed Draft Strategy PDF.
- Summary of the Draft Strategy – this introduces the main ideas discussed in the detailed report. You can read the Draft Strategy summary version on this webpage, or you can download and read the PDF version (the PDF version includes the feedback form at the end of the document).
Printed copies of both documents are available at Glenorchy Motors, Glenorchy Library, and the ORC office (Level 1 Alta House, Terrace Junction,1092 Frankton Road Queenstown).
Once you have read the Draft Strategy, you can give your feedback either:
- Online via our online feedback form
- Email: headofthelake@orc.govt.nz
- Post a hard copy to: Natural Hazards Department, Otago Regional Council, Private Bag 1954, Dunedin 9054
You may respond to as many or as few questions as you like, and we encourage you to explain your answers wherever possible. Your input will help us improve the Strategy to make it practical and effective.
Feedback closes 11.59pm, 23 February 2025.
Adaptation in its simplest form means making changes, adjustments to reduce the risks and impacts from natural hazards events like floods, helping communities stay safe and resilient.
The complex natural hazards in the head of Lake Whakatipu pose risks to the community’s life and their social and economic activities as well as critical infrastructure of the area.
With a changing landscape and climate, these challenges are expected to intensify. While there are no simple solutions, taking adaptation actions now will lay the groundwork for stronger, more resilient communities in the head of Lake Whakatipu now and in the future.
ORC has taken a collaborative approach and has worked closely with the community, mana whenua representatives and partners (Queenstown Lakes District Council, Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago) throughout the process of the development of this Strategy.
We have carried out a series of activities to support the development of the Strategy, including community engagement sessions and technical studies.
The community at the Head of the Lake has been actively engaged over the past five years, participating in meetings, workshops and studies and provided significant feedback.
The contribution of the community is a valuable outcome and plays a crucial role in shaping this Strategy.
The detailed Draft Strategy report is comprehensive and brings together technical, social and strategic information that has been gathered over the last five years.
Below is a summary of the information from the detailed Draft Head of Lake Whakatipu Natural Hazards Adaptation Strategy.
You can also download the summary PDF version.
You can read the detailed PDF version of the Draft Head of Lake Whakatipu Natural Hazards Adaptation Strategy.
The Head of Lake Whakatipu (Whakatipu-wai-Māori) area is home to about 450 people (Stats NZ, 2018), living in the close-knit townships of Glenorchy and Kinloch as well as in rural areas such as Paradise, Rees and Greenstone Valleys, Campbelltown and Wyuna Preserve. The area is located at the northern end (‘head’) of Lake Whakatipu and is the focus of this Strategy. Figure 1 shows the location of the area.
The area holds deep significance for mana whenua, with its ancestral mountains, rivers and lakes forming a network of taoka (treasure). These natural features, along with pounamu (green stone) and tawhito (traditional travel routes) connected settlements, sustaining generations. The area's ikoa wāhi (place names) weave together the stories and histories of Kāi Tahu, grounding their identity, heritage, spiritual connection to and authority in the land. These all make the area significant to the mana whenua.
A defining geographical feature of the Head of Lake Whakatipu area is the broad braided river systems and floodplains of the Dart and Rees Rivers, which form a combined delta at the lake, lying between the Humboldt and Richardson mountains to the west and east, respectively. A braided river system is characterized by multiple interweaving channels that flow around gravel or sand islands.
The Head of the Lake has a dynamic landscape with the Dart and Rees Rivers having a nearly unlimited sediment supply, moving active channels and building up sediment, and growing the delta into Lake Whakatipu. High rainfall in the mountains feeds these rivers and often causes flooding that impacts local roads and important infrastructure as well as the community’s life and activities.
The area is exposed to seismic hazards including shaking, liquefaction and lateral spreading, partly due to its proximity to the Alpine Fault.
With a dynamic and seismically active environment, the head of Lake Whakatipu area is exposed to a complex range of natural hazards, mainly flooding, landslide and earthquake-related hazards. These natural hazards can be relatively frequent and can be very disruptive. Climate and landscape changes could make some of these natural hazards worse. Natural hazards and associated risks are discussed in the detailed Draft Strategy Report.
Through community engagement sessions, the community has shared the things they care about most, which greatly helped us in developing the Strategy and identifying adaptation response options.
The key points identified by the community include:
- Values: The community highlighted their most important values, including safety, self-reliance, preserving the natural environment and protecting essential infrastructure, fostering economic resilience and self-sufficiency, maintaining and enhancing recreational spaces, respecting unique rural atmosphere and the area’s history.
- Resilience: The Head of the Lake has a strong community, whereby people come together and “chips in” in difficult times. Key strengths of the community include strong engagement in adaptation planning efforts, emergency preparations and response, active local groups, and social cohesion (a strong sense of support and cooperation among community members).
- Vulnerability: There exist factors and conditions which may impede the adaptation efforts of the community to natural hazards including a small population, limited healthcare services and emergency personnel, older population, high-need with many residents in low-wage jobs and large numbers of tourists.
- Concerns: The community’s key fears and concerns include impacts of the adaptation programme and potential adaptation actions at the Head of the Lake, rising insurance costs and availability for properties, potential damage to brand, and inadequate preparations for natural hazards and adaptation actions due to a lack of sufficient information.
The Strategy proposes five goals, to help achieve the vision. They are:
Goal 1: Adaptation is woven into our everyday work
- Make plans and recommendations that align with council strategies, policies and processes, and integrate with business-as-usual workstreams.
- Work in partnership with mana whenua, coordinate and collaborate with other agencies and communities with a common purpose to incorporate adaptation into what we do.
- Build connections across and between agencies and work together effectively across work programmes.
- Encourage and amplify existing good practice and initiatives.
Goal 2: Lay a robust foundation for decision-making
- Point us in the same direction, with a common understanding to build from.
- Continue to build understandings of natural hazard risks, uncertainties, and opportunities of now and the future, that come with natural hazards and climate change.
- Increase awareness around current and future natural hazards risks and impacts of climate change, as well as effective adaptation responses.
- Build capacity around adaptation and support communities and decision-makers to take advantage of opportunities.
- Incorporate mātauraka Kāi Tahu into the decision-making framework.
Goal 3: Healthy and resilient communities
- Lead and support others to actively manage and reduce risk to natural hazard and impacts of climate change.
- Support and enable community-led action and behavioural change.
- Promote community safety by managing and reducing risk from natural hazards and impacts of climate change.
- Strengthen communities, businesses, and organisations so that they are well-prepared for natural hazard events and are better able to cope and recover.
- Support and strengthen Kāi Tahu connections to and cultural values associated with the area.
Goal 4: Resilient built places, infrastructure and systems
- Lead the way and support others to increase the resilience of infrastructure, resources and systems.
- Encourage responsible management of resources and infrastructure that prioritises resilience, sustainability and avoids maladaptation.
- Provide information for individuals, businesses and agencies to consider natural hazard risks and the impacts of climate change as part of planning and development processes.
- Combine local traditional knowledge and modern knowledge, technology into planning and development of local infrastructure.
Goal 5: A flourishing environment
- Support and enable nature-based solutions and principles to adapt to natural hazard risks and climate change and deliver other socio-economic and environmental benefits.
- Integrate adaptation across Council work programmes to deliver natural hazards, biodiversity and wider environmental outcomes.
The natural hazard challenges at Head of Lake Whakatipu are complex and there is no simple solution. The Strategy has identified a range of existing and possible future responses that offer potential benefits for adaptation. The identification process has involved the following steps:
- Identify a range of possible responses, including crowdsourced ideas from community and local knowledge,
- Screen out responses that are not technically feasible,
- Develop a ‘long-list’ of adaptation responses; including existing and planned responses, and a future toolbox with both standard ways to manage hazards, and innovative ideas,
- Community engagement on the long-list, get feedback on and add new ideas from community,
- High-level socio-economic screening and mana whenua assessment of possible responses
- Technical evaluation of some responses (i.e. potential responses for liquefaction management and floodplain management).
The identified responses are summarised in Table 1 below.
The future possible responses (Future Toolbox) are not commitments, as they do not have business cases or future funding identified at this stage. Some future possible responses fall outside the currently established roles and responsibilities of partner agencies.
These potential future responses will be considered if we find that current approaches become unsustainable or unsuitable under changing conditions. This will help us improve our adaptation efforts for the area.
Table 1: Existing and possible future responses
|
Category |
Existing or future toolbox? |
Long list of responses (October 2024) |
Type of response |
Current area of responsibility |
What is the main objective of the response? |
|
Hazard awareness and mitigation
|
Existing NEW** |
Societal, behavioural, and institutional changes (improve over time) when considering natural hazards and changes to the physical environment |
Accommodate |
Everyone |
Support awareness and informed decision-making |
|
Future Toolbox NEW** |
Review and accept residual risk for existing development |
Accommodate |
ORC, QLDC, community |
Informed decision-making |
|
|
Existing |
Emergency readiness and response (improve over time) |
Accommodate |
CDEM, ORC, QLDC, community |
All hazards emergency response |
|
|
Road access |
Existing |
Maintenance, reactive repair and planned works for the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road |
Accommodate / protect |
QLDC |
Maintain resilience of regional road access to flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards |
|
|
Existing |
Maintenance, reactive repair and planned works for the Kinloch and Glenorchy-Paradise local road system |
Accommodate / protect |
QLDC |
Maintain resilience of local road access to flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Small scale improvement to existing Kinloch and Glenorchy-Paradise local road system road (as well as maintenance and reactive repair) |
Accommodate / protect |
QLDC |
Reduce impacts of flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards on local road access |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Reduced level of service of existing Kinloch and Glenorchy-Paradise local road system (e.g. some parts 4WD only) |
Accommodate |
QLDC |
Maintain local road access at a lower level of service |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Major works to increase resilience of Kinloch and Glenorchy-Paradise local road system (e.g. protect, raise, realign) |
Protect |
QLDC |
Reduce impacts of flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards on local road access |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Reactive re-design Kinloch and Glenorchy-Paradise local road system for changed conditions (e.g. post event) |
Protect |
QLDC |
Post-event replacement to restore local road access |
|
Boat access |
Existing |
Existing boat access at Kinloch and Glenorchy (limited by existing and ongoing sediment accumulation) |
Accommodate |
QLDC |
Maintain alternative access |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Short-term improvements to existing boat access (e.g dredging) |
Accommodate |
QLDC |
Improve alternative access |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Upgrade boat access with resilient solution (e.g. relocatable wharfs) |
Protect |
QLDC |
Provide alternative access with higher level of service |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Relocate wharfs periodically to maintain future access |
Protect |
QLDC |
Maintain alternative access with higher level of service |
|
Flood mitigation and protection |
Existing |
Maintain the flood monitoring network (rainfall and water level stations) and flood data history |
Accommodate |
ORC |
Flood hazard readiness and emergency response |
|
|
Existing |
Flood monitoring, forecasting and warning (improve over time) |
Accommodate |
ORC |
Flood hazard emergency response |
|
|
Existing |
Existing low level Rees River flood protection by Glenorchy floodbank (maintenance and reactive repair) |
Protect |
QLDC |
Maintain existing Rees River flood protection |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Small scale improvements to Glenorchy floodbank to maintain/reduce flood risk |
Protect |
QLDC |
Increase resilience of Rees River flood protection |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Major works to increase level of service of Glenorchy floodbank |
Protect |
QLDC |
Reduce impacts of Rees River flood hazard on Glenorchy township |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Redesign Rees flood protection for changed conditions (e.g. post event) |
Protect |
ORC, QLDC |
Post-event replacement to restore protection |
|
|
Existing |
Existing river management (vegetation and gravel) |
Accommodate |
ORC, QLDC |
Maintain resilience to flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
River management and nature-based interventions (e.g. targeted planting) |
Accommodate |
ORC |
Reduce impacts of flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Redesign nature-based interventions for changed conditions |
Accommodate |
ORC |
Post-event replacement |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Small scale works to reduce Buckler Burn erosion and/or flood risk |
Protect |
ORC |
Reduce impacts of Buckler Burn flood, erosion and alluvial fan hazards |
|
Public asset resilience |
Future Toolbox |
Improve resilience of critical assets in higher hazard areas (such as floodproofing, floor raising, ground or structure strengthening, retrofit, move elsewhere) |
Accommodate |
Asset owner |
Reduce impacts on critical assets |
|
Community-wide resilience (public and private) |
Future Toolbox |
Community-wide improvement works for liquefaction hazard (such as ground improvement and strengthening existing buildings). |
Accommodate |
Not defined |
Reduce impacts from seismic hazards on Glenorchy township |
|
Private property resilience |
Existing |
Household emergency planning |
Accommodate |
Household |
Reduce impacts on existing development |
|
|
Existing |
Property and business insurance (adjust coverage as needed) |
Accommodate |
Property/business owner |
Support recovery |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Improve property and land resilience (such as floodproofing, floor raising, ground or structure strengthening) |
Accommodate |
Property owner |
Reduce impacts on existing development |
|
|
Existing |
Consider local risk and hazard information when property decisions are required (e.g. buying/selling) are required |
Accommodate |
Property owner |
Informed decision-making |
|
Policy |
Existing |
Policy - Existing land use zoning, rules and building controls |
Accommodate |
ORC, QLDC |
Reduce impacts on future development |
|
|
Future Toolbox NEW** |
Policy – Review hazard and risk information and set appropriate requirements for new development |
Accommodate |
ORC, QLDC |
Reduce impacts on future development |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Policy - Strengthen land use controls in higher hazard areas to avoid additional exposure |
Avoid |
ORC, QLDC |
Avoid impacts on future development |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Policy and services – identify and make available lower hazard land for new building and/or relocation |
Avoid |
QLDC |
Avoid impacts on future development |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Recovery plan improvement |
Accommodate |
CDEM, QLDC, community |
Support effective recovery |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Proactive relocation plan |
Retreat |
Not defined |
Support effective relocation |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Voluntary proactive relocation from higher hazard areas |
Retreat |
Not defined |
Avoid / reduce impacts on existing community (by relocating before an event) |
|
|
Future Toolbox |
Voluntary reactive post event retreat from higher hazard areas |
Retreat |
Multi-agency, property owners |
Avoid repeat impacts |
** Three new responses have been added to the long list since March 2024
It is proposed that the Strategy is implemented by the community and partner agencies through well-established planning processes, such as Long-Term Plans, QLDC District Plan and Otago CDEM Group Plan. The plans have a regular update cycle and this is when decisions on continuing and future investment are made by the partner agencies.
The following are key activities the Strategy’s partners are responsible for within this Strategy:
- ORC implements activities to reduce the impact of natural hazards, including, but not limited to (1) monitoring and maintaining a network of rain and river flow gauges and sharing the data, (2) analysing incipient information to provide early warning, and (3) river management activities.
- QLDC makes decisions about the effects of land use, activities on the surface of rivers and lakes, providing for sufficient development capacity for residential and business growth and subdivision. It also conducts activities, including but not limited to (1) maintaining public roading and three waters assets, the Glenorchy marina and jetty, the Glenorchy flood bank, (2) working closely with ORC, CDEM Otago and emergency services to prepare for and respond to natural hazards events.
- CDEM Otago implements activities to safeguarding communities across the area in emergencies, including but not limited to (1) taking lead on preparedness, response and recovery from natural hazards events, including development of emergency plans and early warnings, and (2) conducting emergency drills and raising awareness of the importance of preparedness for emergency events.
- The Head of the Lake Whakatipu community is responsible primarily for ensuring their own safety, the protection of any dependents and property, reducing their potential for loss, maintaining readiness, and responding appropriately during an event.
It is proposed that ORC and the Strategy’s partners will continue working on activities to monitor how effectively the Strategy will be implemented. It is proposed to monitor changes in social, economic and environmental conditions by using different methods, such as wellbeing surveys, physical monitoring and community feedback.
We will also monitor the progress of this Strategy by tracking the actions listed in the Action Plan.
The Strategy will be reviewed thoroughly every six years to make any needed updates.
To manage the natural hazards as well as reducing the risk and impacts from those hazards to the area of the Head of the Lake, ORC and the Strategy partners over the past years have undertaken or planned to take several activities/actions. The following are key activities:
- Building community awareness and adaptive capacity regarding natural hazard risks and climate change.
- Integrating natural hazards management approaches into local policies such as QLDC’s Spatial Plan and District Plan.
- Allocating budget within Long-Term Plans to manage local infrastructure like Rees and Dart Bridges, Glenorchy floodbank as well as activities of river and floodplain management and flood monitoring and warnings.
- Implementing the four principles in emergency management: Reduction, readiness, response and recover.
- Preparing emergency management personnel.
- Developing community emergency management documents.
- Setting up Civil Defence Emergency Management Centres and Community Emergency Hubs. Land use planning.
These activities are detailed in the Action Plan part of the Strategy.
The Action plan focuses on planning time horizons to align with Councils' 10-year Long-Term Plans and 30-year infrastructure strategies. Where appropriate, longer time horizons are considered for natural hazards impacts and climate change information.
Actions are based on currently defined roles and responsibilities and aligned with current legislation, systems, processes and policies.
Table 2 below presents all current activities and commitments of ORC and Strategy’s partners.
Table 2: Action plans and activities of the Strategy
Governance and collaboration |
||||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
Underway or planned |
Otago Regional Council (ORC) and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) collaborate to develop a governance framework or memorandum of understanding (MoU) for addressing adaptation issues at the Head of the Lake and/or across the district, including the implementation of adaptation actions to improve resilience. |
1 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) Queenstown Lakes District Council |
|
|
Underway or planned |
ORC to partner with mana whenua to ensure mana whenua values and aspirations and mātauraka Kāi Tahu is embedded into decision-making and implementation of the Strategy, following the lead of Aukaha and Te Ao Mārama. |
All goals |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) Aukaha and Te Ao Mārama Inc |
|
|
Underway or planned |
Work together with QLDC, Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago (CDEM), mana whenua and local community to ensure co-ordinated and consistent approach to implementation of actions aligning with this Strategy. |
All goals |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) Queenstown Lakes District Council Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago Aukaha and Te Ao Mārama Inc Glenorchy Community Association |
|
|
Underway or planned |
Work together to mainstream adaptation across ORC work programmes and ensure our work aligns with this Strategy and towards achieving each goal. |
All goals |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards, Environmental Implementation, Engineering, Integrated Catchment Management) |
Ongoing |
|
Information gathering and monitoring |
||||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
Existing |
ORC to investigate hazards and risks as part of usual business |
1, 2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) |
Ongoing |
|
New |
Geomorphic change monitoring and assessment Maintain an awareness of locations and scale of geomorphic changes (e.g. active river channel position, bed levels and rates of change) which may have direct impacts, or exacerbate natural hazard characteristics.
This information will:
|
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) with external support |
Periodic (at least every five years) or when new LiDAR is available |
|
Existing |
Data collection to document major flooding (or other hazard) events Improve the recording and understanding of hazard event characteristics (e.g. floodwater extents, depths and flow pathways), and the impacts of those events. The types of data collected will depend on the hazard and the impact and may include the following:
This information will:
|
2, 3 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) with external support |
After hazard events |
| New |
Monitoring and analysis of signals/triggers/thresholds SIGNALS – give us a heads up about changes
TRIGGERS – points where review and decisions are made
THRESHOLDS – unacceptable conditions we are trying to avoid
|
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) with input from Queenstown Lakes District Council and external support |
Periodic (at least every five years) |
|
Underway or planned |
Communication and reporting of physical environment monitoring
|
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards)
|
Three yearly updates
One-off reporting for significant events
|
Emergency Management
|
||||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
New |
Develop a long-term recovery plan for a potential major hazard event, including ways to minimise maladaptation post-event and ensure recovery considers long-term adaptation opportunities. |
1, 3, 5 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago Queenstown Lakes District Council |
Ongoing |
|
Existing |
Operate a network of near real-time rainfall and water level stations across the region to support flood forecasting and emergency response with a 24/7 duty roster to support forecasting duties and any necessary response. |
2, 3 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards, Engineering, Environmental Monitoring) Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago |
Ongoing |
|
Existing |
Monitor and ensure ORC’s network of environmental monitoring stations remains fit for purpose; providing information for flood response, for documentation of flood events, and for public awareness of river flow, lake and lagoon levels.
This action is intended to ensure the monitoring network and forecasting systems provides the most suitable coverage. |
1, 2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards, Environmental Monitoring) |
Periodic reviews
One-off temporary monitoring |
|
Existing |
Capability development and awareness raising
|
1, 2, 3 |
Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago |
As needed Annually
|
|
Existing |
Engagement with communities and stakeholders
|
1, 2, 3 |
Civil Defense Emergency Management Otago Community Response Group
|
As needed Annually |
|
Existing |
Risk communication and early warnings
Provide right and trusted information about natural disasters to communities so that they can prepare effectively to emergency events. |
3 |
Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago Queenstown Lakes District Council |
Frequently Per event |
|
Existing |
Provide community resilience equipment Provide communications equipment to not only communicate locally but also communicate to the Emergency Operations Centre in Queenstown if BAU communications systems have failed.
|
3 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago |
As needed One-off
|
|
Existing |
Develop and share emergency guides and plans and update annually
|
3 |
Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago Community Response Group |
Update annually |
|
Existing |
Training and exercises for Community Response Group and Emergency Hub implementation
|
3 |
Civil Defence Emergency Management Otago Community Response Group
|
One-off As needed
|
Advice, information and education |
|
|||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
Underway or planned |
Ensure the ORC Natural Hazards Portal includes up-to-date information on natural hazards and the impacts of climate change, to provide the community with a single location for information. |
2, 3 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) |
|
|
Underway or planned |
Maintain ORC Head of Lake Whakatipu adaptation webpages with relevant and up-to-date information, including latest reports, Council updates and key programme milestones. |
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards and Communications) |
Ongoing |
|
Underway or planned |
Provide newsletter updates about programme milestones and or progress towards actions to inform community members, and be accountable to the Strategy. |
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards and Communications) |
As needed |
|
New |
ORC to attend Glenorchy Community Association (GCA) meetings as and when required, at least annually, to provide updates about programme milestones and progress towards actions and act as a check-in with the community. |
2, 3 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) |
Annually or as needed |
|
Underway or planned |
Ensure that ORC’s messaging about natural hazards adaptation and adaptation workstreams is communicated in a way that is understood by a wide audience. |
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards and Communications) |
Ongoing |
|
Underway or planned |
Monitor the headofthelake@orc.govt.nz inbox for public enquiries and information relating to the programme. Consider other methods and tools for capturing community feedback. |
2 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) |
Ongoing |
Policy and planning processes |
||||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
Underway |
Consider natural hazard property information for resource and building consents. |
4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
Ongoing (BAU) |
|
Underway or planned |
ORC and QLDC to collaborate to ensure common adaptation priorities, information and actions identified in this Strategy inform and input into the next ORC and QLDC long-term plans, Spatial Plan, District Plan and other relevant policies and plans. |
1, 2 |
Otago Regional Council Queenstown Lakes District Council |
Every LTP cycle |
|
Underway or planned |
Natural hazard information included on LIM reports |
1, 2 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
|
|
New |
ORC and QLDC to collaborate on path forward for assessing risk tolerance with the community (once the proposed RPS is operative) |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Otago Regional Council Queenstown Lakes District Council |
once the proposed RPS is operative |
Addressing impacts of natural hazards and climate change |
||||
|
Status |
Action |
Goal this contributes towards |
Agency responsible |
Timeframe |
|
Underway |
Routine maintenance of transport network, including QLDC roading assets, Glenorchy jetty and marina. |
1, 4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
Ongoing/BAU |
|
Underway |
Glenorchy Area Bridge Resilience (24-34 LTP): Non-routine work required to protect the serviceability of the Glenorchy, Paradise, Rees River bridge assets following damage, and to minimise threat of road closure due to natural phenomena. |
1, 4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
As required, budgeted biennially |
|
Underway |
Raising Kinloch Road (24-34 LTP) Raising Kinloch Road in conjunction with two-yearly gravel extraction under the Rees River bridge. |
1, 4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
As required, budgeted biennially |
|
New |
Develop Operational River Management Plans, including the Dart and Rees floodplains.
|
1, 4 |
Otago Regional Council (Engineering and Natural Hazards)
|
2025 Reviewed every two years |
|
New |
Develop a gravel management plan for the Buckler Burn
|
1, 4 |
Otago Regional Council (Engineering and Natural Hazards)
|
2025 Reviewed every two years |
|
Underway |
Annual vegetation management, rock armouring and gravel management Ongoing river management activities (such as regular vegetation control in Lagoon Creek/Lagoon area) |
3, 4, 5 |
Otago Regional Council (Engineering)
|
Ongoing/Annually |
|
Existing |
Maintenance of Rees River floodbanks
|
1, 4 |
Otago Regional Council (Engineering and Natural Hazards) |
Every year |
|
New |
Floodplain and rivers
|
1, 4, 5 |
Otago Regional Council (Engineering and Natural Hazards) |
Every two years |
|
New |
Glenorchy Adaptation Pathways (30 Yr Infrastructure strategy) Work on Social Infrastructure required to address selected adaptation pathways, as budgeted in the QLDC 30 year Infrastructure Strategy. |
1, 3, 4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
2034-2054 |
|
New |
Provide information and support property owners to undertake property-level interventions to improve their resilience to natural hazards risks. |
3, 4 |
Otago Regional Council (Natural Hazards) |
|
|
New |
Head of the Lake Adaptation (24-34 LTP) Strategy to inform responses to identified hazards, providing scoped and costed solutions for input to the next LTP (27-37) and other key planning documents. |
1, 2, 4 |
Queenstown Lakes District Council |
2034-2054 |
Several resources related to the Strategy are available on the ORC and QLDC websites. You can access these resources through the links below for more information:
Head of Lake Whakatipu Programme
Technical reports of this Strategy
If you want to stay in touch, subscribe our community newsletter.
If you have any feedback or enquires about the Strategy or the supporting information, send it to our email or mail addresses:
Email:
headofthelake@orc.govt.nz
Mail:
Otago Regional Council
ATTN: Natural Hazards Department
Private Bag 1954
Dunedin 9054
We are now seeking your input to help refine the Draft Strategy, making it practical and effective.
The feedback period runs from 5 December 2024 to 23 February 2025.
You may respond to as many or as few questions as you like, and we encourage you to explain your answers wherever possible.
There are three ways to provide your feedback:
- Online: use the online form below to submit your feedback
- Email: You may also send written feedback by email, where the feedback in attached in a PDF document or a Microsoft Word document (2023 or later version). Please email your feedback to: headofthelake@orc.govt.nz
- Physical mail: If you are mailing your own written feedback, send it to:
Otago Regional Council
ATTN: Natural Hazards Department
Private Bag 1954
Dunedin 9054
Deadline: Feedback closes at 11.59pm on 23 February 2025.
