Coastal erosion has skyrocketed as an environmental concern for Waitaki residents, according to the latest Otago Regional Council community survey.

The results of a survey of more than 1100 people across the Otago, have been released by the ORC.

The percentage of Waitaki residents in the 2023 ORC community survey most concerned about coastal erosion has jumped from 7% in 2022 to 22% last year.

Waitaki bucks the trend in comparison with the rest of Otago, where residents are less concerned about erosion than they were in 2022, and the overall percentage of those most concerned by coastal erosion sits at 9%.

Water quality remains the most concerning overall for Otago residents - at 39%, and the Waitaki reflects this at 38% (although this is down significantly from 49% in 2022).

Climate change rounds out the top three, with 14% of Waitaki respondents listing this as their top concern - an increase of 3% from 2022.

Overall, climate change sat at most concerning for 18% of Otago respondents, an increase of 4%.

Last year’s sample size was reduced from 1700 (in 2021 and 2022) to 1100 last year as a cost savings measure, to ensure the project could be delivered for the allocated budget. This meant the sample size in the Waitaki district went from 300 to 190 participants.

Council chairperson Gretchen Robertson expressed thanks to those who took time to complete the survey, saying their input is crucial to its planning processes.

“These are changing times in the environmental space and it’s of huge importance to us that we get a clear steer from people across the region on what is of most significant concern to them,” she said.

Gretchen highlighted the increasing concern about climate change this year, with key concerns around the impact on the broader environment, the issue’s urgency and the fact that actions have a global effect and are not simply a regional impact.

The survey results are “very timely” now that engagement is underway with ministers of the new coalition Government, she said.

“The results reflect the issues of concern that Otago’s communities want to see targeted and addressed.”

The council engaged with numerous Government ministers last week, and Gretchen acknowledged changes are expected, but she emphasised details on changes or any pause in regulations may take months to finalise, and then further time to implement.

“Many people will find this frustrating. But at the forefront of these changes must be the protections around the environment, be it waterways, land use or air quality which we all must share, but equally take responsibility for.”

This year 19% of respondents rated ORC’s response to the environmental issue they identified as excellent, 40% rated it as average, and 26% rated the response poorly.

“This set of results show a significant, 5% increase in positive ratings from a year ago and a big decline in poor ratings, which were down by 4%,” she said.

“While we can take heart from these positive improvements, we’re striving every year to improve results and outcomes, which means staff and councillors working more and more closely with communities to protect and enhance the environment.

“This is a shared responsibility.”

She “entirely endorses” recommendations from the survey, around a continued focus on water quality and climate change initiatives, and that there be targeted communication and engagement strategies in place and an ongoing focus to improve public transport services.

While a significant proportion of respondents consistently note that water quality in the region is deteriorating, most respondents stated air quality, land-based environments and coastal resources remain unchanged or are improving.

“As custodians of the environment, ORC’s staff and councillors have a big role to fulfil in not only protecting but enhancing the environment for everyone, whether they are using resources recreationally or as an input toward an economic benefit,” she said.

Over three weeks, from October 30 last year, 1102 people were surveyed using phone (30%) and on-line (70%) survey techniques, from Waitaki (190), Central Otago (190) and Queenstown (190), Dunedin (342) and Clutha (190).

Responders were chosen at random - 53% were female and 47% male, with 24% aged under 39, 46% were 40-64 and 35% were over 65 years old.

The survey is publicly available on the Otago Regional Council website in the agenda for the Regional Leadership Committee meeting in Ōamaru tomorrow (Wednesday, February 21).