ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said the focus was on coastal Otago and some Central Otago properties.
The flyovers would look at farming practices such as intensive winter grazing, but also large land disturbances around forestry and any machinery working in or around streams, rivers and wetlands.
"The ORC undertakes compliance flights every year to gain a bird’s eye view on land use in districts around the region to identify any potential risks to water quality."
Staff would then assess the information and visit any potential high-risk sites to ‘‘ground truth’’ and check compliance, Mrs Sargeant said.
She acknowledges the government has signalled pending changes around consenting and encourages Otago farmers to continue with their best management practices under their current consents. The government changes would not come into effect until winter next year.
"We know farmers are well set for this winter and grazing is under way. Please keep your consents; they’ll give you all certainty during this time and still apply to this winter."
The ORC was working with primary industry groups, stakeholders and the Ministry for the Environment.
Mrs Sargeant wants farmers who do not have a consent to continue to strive to meet the permitted criteria for the regulations and have a grazing management plan in place which will support good on-farm decisions around grazing.
"We’re expecting farmers, forestry contractors and earth moving contractors, to have plans drawn up for managing sediment which is likely to be mobilised, and sediment controls in place to keep sediment from getting into Otago waterways."
