In November 2019, Minister for the Environment David Parker recommended that the Otago Regional Council (ORC) prepare a new Regional Policy Statement. This was to be part of the review of ORCs planning framework that was to be operative by 1 April 2022.  

This deadline anticipated that the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) would be adopted in time for the review of the Water Plan, scheduled to be notified as the Land and Water Regional Plan by the end of 2023.  

The Otago Regional Policy Statement (ORPS) sets out what we want for Otago, what is stopping us achieving this, and how we will solve these problems. The proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement 2021 (pORPS 2021) identifies the Significant Resource Management Issues for the region. It also explains how national direction on resource management will be applied in Otago and provides direction on how to balance potentially conflicting requirements. 

The pORPS 2021 does not contain rules like a regional or district plan. Its role is to provide high-level guidance by way of policies and objectives and establish the framework for Otago's regional and district plans in which more specific resource management policies, objectives and rules will sit.