Restoring and protecting the health and well-being of the Waikato River
Tooku awa koiora me oona pikonga he kura tangihia o te maataamuri
The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last
Restoring and protecting the health and well-being of the Waikato River
Tooku awa koiora me oona pikonga he kura tangihia o te maataamuri
The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last
About Us
Watch this video for a brief introduction about who we are, what we do, and some of the people and projects we support. For more information on our board and our team, visit our About page.
About Us
Watch this video for a brief introduction about who we are, what we do, and some of the people and projects we support. For more information on our board and our team, visit our About page.
Waikato River Restoration Timelines
The Waikato River Authority was established in 2010 to oversee Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato.
Te Ture Whaimana encompasses the vision for a future where a healthy Waikato River sustains abundant life and prosperous communities who, in turn, are all responsible for restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River, and all it embraces, for generations to come.
The timeline to achieve Te Ture Whaimana is intergenerational. However, while the river system as a whole may require many decades to be fully restored and protected, there are elements to a healthy Waikato River that can, and must, be achieved at a greater pace.

There are three key factors that influence this pace:
• The status of Te Ture Whaimana as the primary direction setting
document for activities that affect the Waikato River
• Government led legislation and policy, for example, resource
management reform and National Environmental Standards
• Funding of restoration projects that support Te Ture Whaimana.
We wish to develop the concept of restoration timelines that can be found in the draft working document here.
This work will support an understanding of progress and timelines towards a healthy Waikato River. It will also support decisions regarding policy and funding as tools to affect the timeline for elements of Te Ture Whaimana.
This includes representation and submissions on:
• Ensuring the requirements of Te Ture Whaimana were not eroded by Freshwater NPS infrastructure exceptions;
• Participation in Biosecurity 2025 – appointed by MPI to governance and leadership working group; and
• Involvement in the Land and Water Forum (2010 – 2017).
The call for proposals ended 4pm, 28 February 2022. Please check our website for updates, and if you have any queries, contact us at enquiries@waikatoriver.org.nz.
This work will be
completed by 30 June 2022.
for Te Ture Whaimana
The Waikato River Authority is approaching 10 years of leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Waikato River and Waipā River. The Authority’s purpose is to set the primary direction through Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (Vision & Strategy) to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River and Waipā River.
for Te Ture Whaimana
The Waikato River Authority is approaching 10 years of leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Waikato River and Waipā River. The Authority’s purpose is to set the primary direction through Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (Vision & Strategy) to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River and Waipā River.
Our Project Stories
Dairy Farmer and environmentalist Stu Muir started with a digger, a chainsaw and a vision. "People thought I was completely pōrangi for trying to do something like this on this scale," says Stu. "But once you create current, once you regenerate what was here in the beginning, then it will keep itself alive".
A Port Waikato man and his family are starting to see an environmental transformation on their block of steep hill country with the help of Waikato River Authority funding.
A multi-year project undertaken by Maniapoto Maori Trust Board and NIWA to create better understanding of environmental issues for Maniapoto marae and whanau has been completed.
News and Notices