Project Year: 2024

Goals of this project (Beyond the Surface 24) are to:\n1. Remove the vehicles & hazardous debris from 7 sites along the Waikato River.\n2. Scan individual sites prior to salvage to identify targets.\n3. Create a YouTube documentary between 10-20 minutes to showcase the salvage of each site.\n4. Undertake 50 hours of community engagement and social media engagement.\n5. Work with river iwi on scanning areas of significance and interest.

This is a collaborative project to significantly expand an early small-scale lowland forest restoration project (Mangawara Scheme Peacocke) previously undertaken by Waikato RiverCare. Key outcomes include stock exclusion, weed control and native planting.

This project aims to continue the environmental ethos of this whanau in knowing the limitations of this property, including climate, soil, environment and matching it to a sustainable land use activity. RiverCare has prepared a project plan for a 5.78ha tree stand restoration project, which includes 3.5ha of mature lowland forest in good to above average condition, is unprotected by river stop banks and flood pumps, and still routinely floods, retaining the seasonal hydrology-driven characteristics of a typical lowland forest ecosystem on the lower Waikato River.

In 2023 WRA funding was granted for the construction of small bunds to slow water flow in the valleys and trap contaminants before they enter the Little Waipa Stream. The 2023 funding was conditional on a peer review of the project design. The peer review recommended substantial changes to the design to ensure optimum performance of the bunds and has resulted in additional costs of $20,000. This project is to implement the change in design and to partner with the University of Waikato to undertake more robust monitoring to determine the effectiveness of the bunds.

The purpose of this project is to exclude stock from a steep hillside on Oreipuna Road, revegetate the entire slope of 3ha with a diverse native mix, stabilise the ground and reduce sediment runoff into the stream below, which runs directly into the Waikato River.

This project is a continuation of previous WRA-funded works on a 7.2 ha remnant wetland on Te Puea Hērangi Trust dairy farm on River Road, Ngāruawāhia. Works will focus on pest plant control and planting of native species.

Iwi led project on whanau land to protect and restore the Karioi puna and awa, located adjacent to Tauranganui Marae. This project will fence to exclude stock from the 1.2km length of the waterway, from the headwater puna to the convergence point with the Waikato River. Work will involve targeted weed control and restoration planting of 7,000 native plants.

This project begins the restoration of the Ngatamariki Scenic Reserve and Orakonui catchment by controlling the weed species immediately threatening the geothermal surface features in the area.

This catchment group project is to focus plant provision to landowners within Waikato and Waipā River Restoration Strategy priority locations. Wrap-around technical and operational expertise & support for each landowner will be provided to make their riparian restoration projects a success, as evidenced by high plant survival, growing membership, and increasing numbers of landowners tackling invasive weeds and predator control.

This project in the 33,145ha Waiotapu catchment in the Upper Waikato River proposes to undertake nuisance vegetation management, fencing, erosion mitigation works and riparian planting along stream banks in the tributaries to the Waiotapu Stream. Works will go well beyond regulatory requirements of landowners in this catchment and will contribute to reduced sediment to waterways, improved aquatic health and increased resilience to future storm events.

This restoration project is a continuation of previous work along the riparian margins of Lakes Whakamaru, Atiamuri and Karapiro. It will involve multi-faceted priorities of riparian clearing and planting, access and wetland management, as well as volunteer involvement and education.

This project continues work undertaken at Te Mahoe puna and will complete critical maintenance work, including follow-up weed control, plant releasing and infill planting.

This project (Muir Whanau, whitebait habitat and biodiversity regeneration project) includes a range of components to improve access and further continue our native planting program. It includes the retirement of a further 2km of tidal creek bank, planting of 13,000 trees, constructing another 240m of boardwalk, metalling an access track and funding to cover the shortfall of a bridge that was recently installed.

Lake Waikare and Whangamarino Wetland are highly degraded. The issues are long-standing, and both causes and solutions are complex. Medium to long-term solutions are needed to improve the health and well-being of catchment waterbodies. WRC will work through the Whangamarino Response Working Group to deliver solutions through a Whangamarino Action Plan (WAP). Department of Conservation, Waikato River Authority, Auckland-Waikato Fish & Game, Waikato-Tainui, Ngaa Muka, Ngaati Naho and Waikato District Council are all active participants in this group. The WAP will build on a wealth of science, maatauranga Maaori and catchment management work and link with existing work programmes throughout the catchment.

The aim of this project is to protect by fencing to exclude stock from the Tanehopuwai Stream that flows through the Pukenui B49 Maori land and a kahikatea swamp forest wetland. This Kahikatea swamp forest is marked by the Waikato Regional Council maps as being a biodiversity focus area. The neighbouring wetland has black mudfish present, and there is a high chance that a population could also be present in this wetland.

This project (Aorere Glen extension 2025) is to retire and restore 1.2 ha to the north of the existing 7.9ha QEII Covenant using a “Restoration Agreement” Covenant with QEII. The area is currently grazed and has large Totora and Kanuka trees scattered throughout. This area will be re-fenced with netting, battens, and 1x hot wire to match the existing QEII fence line and replanted with eco-sourced trees at 1.5 m spacings in the open areas, as well as planting understory plants under the canopy created by the existing native trees.

Te Korowai o Pūniu symbolises cloaking the land in the upper Pūniu catchment with native plants. Puniu River Care will focus its efforts on the upper Pūniu catchment, which is identified within the Waikato and Waipā River Restoration Strategy (WWRRS). This project will assist with fencing 33km to retire 55ha of land with high erosion risk, and planting up to 110,000 native afforestation species.

This project (E Tu Kahikatea O Waikare) is for the continuance of work aiming to re-establish the critically endangered kahikatea/pukatea forest ecosystem along the shores of Lake Waikare.

This project’s goals for the Mangahia Stream corridor and Waipā River include creating enduring public access while acknowledging the history of the area, creating a sense of connection and identity, protecting and restoring biodiversity and water quality, celebrating the Horokiokio Pā and ensuring mana whenua’s connection to land and river are recognised and work collaboratively to create a valued asset for the community.

This project involves extending the boundaries of the native bush to connect with a previously protected wetland restoration project on the farm, creating a flourishing habitat for native birds, bats and aquatic species. This will be achieved through native plantings, retirement of land from grazing and fencing to exclude stock. The project has a significant value to the Waipa River because the wetland area flows directly into the Upper Waipa River, and water quality will be improved through reduced erosion and sedimentation impacts.

Launched in 2013, the Waikato-Tainui Environmental Plan (Tai Tumu Tai Pari Tai Ao) continues to guide, inform and influence decision-making that supports the health and wellbeing of our wai (water) and taiao (land). This project is a 2-3 year review that will build on embedding Tai Tumu Tai Pari Tai Ao for future generations. Guided by overarching goals, the project will progress under four priority areas with a range of deliverables supporting each.

The wetland is situated at the back of a dry stock farming block (Ingram) and has a tributary that collects run off from neighbouring farms, and it then meanders through the wetland to then enter the Pokaitu Stream. This planting project is located in a small tributary before it enters the Pokaitu Stream, which will help clean and protect these waterways and contribute to reducing the flow during heavy rain events.

The Pokaiwhenua Catchment Group (PCG) intend to continue to work with landowners and stakeholders to further protect and enhance areas within the catchment from sediment and nutrients losses through fencing to exclude livestock, and planting seeps, waterways/riparian areas, and steep or unsuitable land for farming.

This project, ‘Te Awa Kōrero o Raukawa’ will reconnect Raukawa descendants over 3 years through an annual 5-day, full-immersion, live-in (camp style stay) Māori language wānanga. Focusing on key sections of the Upper Waikato River encompassing paddling (hoe waka), traditional practices, customs, storytelling, learning and river-focused reo Māori development. Wāhi tapu and culturally significant sites along the Waikato awa will be visited, acknowledged and spoken about by knowledgeable local experts from surrounding hapū.

This project aims to gradually and measurably increase northern raataa numbers in exotic trees in a swamp forest remnant while implementing holistic restoration practices to allow for the needs of native birds reliant upon exotic trees to support them in the absence of large native trees. In addition, the project will trial techniques for northern raataa and native bird enhancement and restoration in ‘predator/herbivore landscapes’ where vertebrate control is currently not an option.

The Kawakawanui Trust Board intends to restore a gully on its property at Frost Road, Onewhero. The primary purpose of the project is to protect and enhance a puna (spring) and gully system to increase native biodiversity, and to introduce opportunities to gather kai, in particular watercress and tuna, and medicinal species / Māori Rongoā. There is papakainga on the property, so another aspiration for this project is to connect whanau to the whenua and engage them as kaitiaki.

The Kokako Trust’s long-term vision is to restore the extensive network of riparian and wetland areas across its farmed land. Stage 1 of this project focuses on restoring sections of the Ngutuwera Stream (headwaters of the Pōkaiwhenua Stream) located on Kokako Tuatoru. Enhancement works proposed will involve native planting of existing retired riparian areas along the Ngutuwera stream, increasing the setback in areas prone to flooding and overland flow, and stabilising bank edges and an eroding gully head using strategic willow and poplar pole plantings.

Through waananga with Turangawaewae Marae whaanau, this project is to develop an environmental framework, or whare taiao, for the marae. “He Whare Taiao” will include environmental goals, a kaitiaki plan, identification of restoration priorities, taonga associated with the Marae, a kaitiaki evolution programme, cultural monitoring targets and other matters considered important by the Marae.‍ The outcome will be a Whare Taiao framework for the Marae, which will be gifted to other Waikato-Tainui marae.

This project aims to remediate hill country erosion and support the Mangatea river through riparian planting, to help protect and restore our waterways and the surrounding whenua.

This project involves building capacity and capability for Te Nehenehenui wiwi and communities by providing monitoring and health and safety within several projects operating in the Waikato River Authority’s scope, such as swift water training and rescue experiences, bird monitoring, and geographic information systems (GIS), which will complement and grow the projects mentioned above.

This project is for Stage 1 of a project to restore Waahi Paa’s traditional access to the Waikato River, which will reconnect and strengthen their relationship with the Waikato River through the restoration of the traditional waka access, will enable ongoing activities and traditional cultural ceremonies to continue at this location.

River Iwi and hapū taiao leaders from Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Raukawa Charitable Trust, Te Arawa River Iwi Trust, Ngāti Tahu Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara, and Ngāti Maniapoto have united around a common interest to protect, restore, and enhance tuna across the Waikato and Waipaa River Catchment.

The Te Pani stream originates in the mature forests of Hakarimata. From here, it flows across farmland, including steep areas where erosion degrades the health of the stream before it ultimately continues to the Waipa and Waikato rivers. This project is the start of a wider project is to retire the most vulnerable parts of steep and marginal farmland along Te Pani Stream.

Parariki Stream flows from the geothermally-fed Lake Rotokawa into Te Awa o Waikato. This project involves a steep escarpment above the stream, which has been in commercial pine forest for generations, but was severely damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle (2023), and in early 2024, the plantation was logged. This project is to permanently retire the steep escarpment and plant in native trees.

This project (Kaiahi Whaanau Whenua Taiao Restoration Project Phase 1) is the environmental enhancement at River Rd, Ngaaruawaahia, specifically the restoration of native plant species along the riverbank and ‍wetland areas, allowing whaanau to reconnect with the awa, including maintenance of koorero ‍tuku iho and traditional practices and exercising their role as kaitiaki.

This project involves a comprehensive assessment of restoration and rehabilitation opportunities on Ngaati Koroki Kahukura-owned whenua, a bioblitz (intensive stock take of taonga species and habitat in our rohe) and creation of our a Iwi environmental management plan.