The controversial Land and Water Regional Plan has passed another hurdle after Otago Regional councillors voted in support by a slim margin to carry on with the controversial work.

Five years in the making and $17 million has gone into the draft plan, and on Wednesday it was agreed to push out the deadline a further four months, until October 31.

The decision comes hot on the heels of new recommendations from the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) panel that were approved this week.

The October 31 extension was decided on to give council staff time to review the impact of the RPS decision.

Chief executive Richard Saunders told the meeting that the recommendation from Environment Minister Penny Simmonds two weeks ago encouraging the council to delay their plan until 2027 was a political one, that had to be weighed up against the technical information they had.

After a lengthy two hour debate on the issue, councillors appeared divided on whether to push on or not - some saying they needed to get on with it and respect the RPS panel that have put in a huge effort.

“Delay, delay, delay, we just have to get this out,” Cr Alexa Forbes said. 

Cr Gary Kelliher stayed firm to his belief that there was a community out there that had been disrespected by councillors and those council processes in the draft plan for a very long time.

He and Cr Michael Laws and Cr Kevin Malcolm have been opposed to the draft plan and believe the water quality and degradation around Otago has been deliberately overstated.

“We have a very strong directive from the minister and new Government. They are sick of hearing from the community that these processes have let them down,” Gary said.

He believes the proposed plan disregards all the good work that has been happening in the community to improve water quality.  

“The 10 year trends are showing this is working,” he said after the meeting.

Council chair Gretchen Robertson said Otago was a diverse and resilient region and emphasised that the ORC was not being rebellious.

“We have followed the law, what more can we do”?

She said the extension to the plan had been helpful and there had been no directive to stop any of the work from Government.

“But we do need time to give the RPS a good looking over.”

ORC staff will report back to council in May with an updated programme of work on the plan and will also inform Minister Simmonds on the reasons for the extended deadline.