Our purpose
The Waikato River Authority is a co-governance body with a clear mandate: to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato and Waipā river catchments.
We were established under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010, which recognised the Crown’s responsibility to work in genuine partnership with iwi. Later that year, co-management rights were extended to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa river iwi. In 2012, the Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipā River) Act brought Ngāti Maniapoto into co-management arrangements for the Waipā River.
Our Board has ten members, five appointed by the Crown and five by Waikato and Waipā river iwi, and operates under a co-chair model, with an Iwi Co-Chair and a Crown Co-Chair leading together.
What we do
Our primary role is to lead the implementation of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato – the Vision and Strategy that sets the direction for restoring the mana and mauri of the rivers. In practice, this means:
Each year we run a contestable funding round, allocating up to $6 million to projects that advance the health of the river catchments. Since 2011, we’ve invested nearly $79 million across 485 projects.
We work with local authorities, conservation, biosecurity, and fisheries agencies to ensure restoration efforts are integrated and effective.
We engage with local authorities to ensure their RMA planning documents give effect to the Vision and Strategy.
We track how well Te Ture Whaimana is being implemented and report at least every five years to the Crown and iwi appointers.
We are currently reviewing the Vision and Strategy and will recommend amendments to the Crown and iwi appointers.
We also act as trustee for the Waikato River Clean-up Trust, through which the contestable funding is administered.
Where our funding goes
Investment is distributed across three Treaty settlement areas:
Area A
(Lower Waikato River)
55% of total investment
Area B
(Upper Waikato River)
21% of total investment
Area C
(Upper Waipā River)
24% of total investment
map goes here
Our enabling legislation
The Authority was established under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010. Funding is derived from two Treaty of Waitangi settlements:
- Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 — addressing the Waikato-Tainui claim and recognising their mana whakahaere (authority and responsibility) over the river.
- Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipā River) Act 2012 — enabling Ngāti Maniapoto to enter co-management arrangements with local government for the Waipā River.