Another councillor says the proposed meeting would allow ministry officials and council staff to make sure they were "on the same page" as ministers.
Tension built between government ministers and regional councillors for much of last year as the council consistently voted 7-5 to continue work on its contentious draft land and water plan.
Then, the government stepped in.
Ministers announced an amendment to the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill that stopped the council from notifying its plan before the 2020 national policy statement for freshwater management (NPSFM) was replaced by the end of this year.
Notably, the amendment came into effect retrospectively on October 22 last year, the day before the council had planned a vote to notify its plan.
Upon the announcement, the council vote was abandoned, less than 24 hours before it was due to take place.
After 20 years as a councillor, Bryan Scott quit in protest.
This week, council policy and planning manager Fleur Matthews said council staff and Ministry for the Environment staff had held "several online workshops on particular topics" relating to the review and replacement of the NPSFM.
"Staff are working with Ministry for the Environment staff and the ministers’ offices to arrange an online meeting between councillors and ministers in late-January," she said on Monday though a council spokeswoman.
Yesterday, council chairwoman Cr Gretchen Robertson said at the proposed meeting the council would "provide constructive feedback" on how the NPSFM could best support Otago's "unique" water management challenges and opportunities.
The council would also "advocate for practical solutions".
"We will emphasise the need for a pragmatic approach that balances healthy waterways with the needs of our communities, including sustainable livelihoods.
"Otago values its waterways and recognises the importance of a thriving economy.
"The NPSFM should allow for flexible and regionally appropriate approaches to water management."
Cr Robertson said "any information" on emerging national directions would help the council in actively reviewing its draft land and water plan.
The council would need a new plan that addressed critical, time-bound issues with its operative water plan "such as current inefficient and ineffective policies for water allocation and farm runoff management", she said.
Cr Kevin Malcolm, who last year, unlike the chairwoman, voted consistently to stop work on the plan, said the benefit of the meeting would be "to ensure that the ministry staff and ORC staff are on the same page as the ministers".
He said since the government intervention, constituents throughout Otago had "signalled to me a great deal of relief that our proposed plan was halted".
"Most of those people are actively involved in catchment groups and environmentally proactive industries and they are expecting ORC to listen to this government’s direction and consult meaningfully before notifying the plan.
"The ministers have indicated they want a NPSFM that promotes sound environmental protection and allows us to get on with activities that promote a progressive New Zealand.
"If we correctly align with this direction, I am sure we will get meaningful input."
