Last year, the Otago Regional Council released a "consultation draft" of the changes it planned to make to its water plan regarding wetlands.
Plan change 2 aimed to simplify the regulations concerning wetlands and ensure they were mapped accurately.
The consultation draft was released in June last year, extending provision for regional significant wetlands, developing a separate non-regulatory wetland inventory and putting all significant wetlands in one list in the plan.
After listening to public feedback from meetings and submissions, the council had refined maps for 17 wetlands, added 14 new wetlands, including the Cairn Rd Bog (formerly Cairn Rd Swamp), consolidated policies and rules and strengthened protections, while making it easier to enhance wetlands.
The final draft is effective from today and open for submissions until July 29.
Council policy and resource planning director Fraser McRae said the proposed plan change also aimed to meet the wetlands-related requirements of the recently released National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011.
"New Zealand has lost more than 90% of its wetlands and this plan change aims to protect the best of those remaining in Otago," Mr McRae said.
It would achieve that by making more accurate maps for regionally significant wetlands and requiring consent for activities that could damage or destroy them, he said.
The maps were determined by an aerial and satellite survey, with many properties visited for discussions with landowners during site visits.
An important element of the proposed plan change is that the rules for regionally significant wetlands apply to all of any mapped area, meaning both the water and the land are covered, he said.
