Liaison groups made up of elected members and community members are being re-established for Otago flood protection and drainage schemes, starting with the Lower Taieri.
ORC general manager science and resilience Tom Dyer said it was a great opportunity for locals to shape Taieri’s flood and drainage schemes and "be the eyes and ears of the scheme community".
“We are seeking four representatives from East and West Taieri to join representatives from the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board, Dunedin International Airport and an ORC councillor,” Mr Dyer said.
There were also two seats available for other representatives from the Mosgiel and Taieri area.
The council decided to re-establish the groups during the long-term plan process earlier this year with initial groups for the Lower Taieri, Lower Clutha and Tokomairiro schemes.
The Lower Taieri Flood Protection Scheme group would be established by the end of the year and would act as an informal committee working alongside the Otago Regional Council, Mr Dyer said.
Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms said that establishing the group was "an inspired move".
"The Taieri community will certainly welcome the opportunity for local landowners and residents to have an input into the ORC’s decision-making," he said.
Landowners had generations of knowledge about flood impact in local waterways and "for the ORC to tap into that collective knowledge, I think, is a very important step forward".
It was an opportunity for two-way communication between residents and the council, Mr Simms said.
"The way it’s been set up is nothing but positive.
"I sincerely hope that the landowners and the community fully engage with it and that we end up with a really effective engagement group."
The Lower Taieri Flood Protection Scheme seeks to reduce the flood risk on the Taieri Plain and protect critical infrastructure such as key transport routes and power and Three Waters infrastructure.
