Te Awa Ōtākou/Otago Harbour is at the heart of Ōtepoti (Dunedin) and the wider Otago region, playing a key role in our cultural, social, and economic life. With its strategic location, the harbour supports commercial fisheries, trade access, and serves as a significant asset for both local and regional economies. Te Awa Ōtākou is also highly valued for recreation and amenity, deeply embedded in the city and region’s identity.

Te Awa Ōtākou has a pivotal role in the wellbeing of the Ōtākou hapū and whānau. The harbour is a source of identity and a bountiful provider of kaimoana, and the pathway to fishing grounds, mahika kai locations and villages throughout the harbour and for seaward journeys beyond. Traditionally, it was the mode for other hapū to visit, and in today's world it is the lifeline to the international trade that benefits the region. The ebb and flow of the harbour tides is a valued certainty in a world of change; a taoka to be treasured and protected for the benefit of current and future generations.

The health and sustained function of the harbour are, however, under ongoing pressure. Human activities such as land development, roading, stormwater management, wastewater overflow, harbour dredging, land reclamation and fishing have led to habitat degradation, pollution, and the loss of ecological, recreational, and cultural values. Climate change - rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing temperatures - compounds these challenges, demanding decisive, long-term planning and action.

In response to concerns raised by mana whenua and the wider community, ORC commissioned a team of consultants to assess these challenges and identify opportunities for improvement. The project team included Morphum Environmental, Studio Pacific Architecture, University of Otago’s Department of Marine Sciences, and Aukaha Ltd. The report was informed by engagement with over 40 individuals and organisations, including two workshops with ORC and DCC councillors Aukaha Ltd worked closely with mana whenua to ensure that their perspectives, histories, and aspirations were authentically represented in the report.

The Te Awa Ōtākou Issues and Opportunities report is not itself a management plan or strategy for the harbour, rather it is an overview of issues and opportunities, along with a recommended approach for addressing these. The project team also produced a spreadsheet of recommended actions that were identified through the engagement process. These recommended actions have not been arranged according to any sort of order of priority, but many are already underway.

Te Awa Ōtākou  Issues and Opportunities report provides examples of the extensive ongoing effort by mana whenua, councils and national government agencies, communities, businesses, and conservation groups, but notes that much of this is focussed on specific aspects or areas.

It is recommended that an Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) approach be adopted to provide a structured plan for collaboration. The ICM process commences with establishing an Integrated Catchment Group, and it is through this group that a Catchment Action Plan (CAP) is initiated. The CAP will articulate an agreed vision and supporting objectives to inform the further refinement and prioritisation of actions. 

Our ICM Team will present a paper to the Council's Environmental Implementation Committee in June seeking approval to commence the ICM programme for Te Awa Ōtākou later in 2025.  

The Integrated Catchment Group (once formed) will consider many of the recommended actions to determine whether, how, and when they should be addressed and by whom. This prioritisation process will be informed by an agreed vision and objectives (yet to be developed).

Other agencies will be asked to consider actions that may not be captured by the ICM programme. Many of these are already currently underway or could be actioned in the very near future.