3: Priorities
for Funding
3.1 Background
The Trust consulted widely to develop its priority areas and through its networks has drawn on a
wide range of sources.
In setting the following priorities the Trust has also given adequate regard to the Waikato River
Independent Scoping Study (WRISS). The WRISS was prepared by a multi-disciplinary team of
scientists, social scientists, practitioners in Maatauranga Maaori, farming systems specialists,
economists, engineers and planners. The team was led by NIWA. The WRISS was commissioned by
the Ministry for the Environment, and the Waikato River Guardians Establishment Committee was
the governance group.
The key purpose of the WRISS was to provide the Crown and Waikato River Iwi with a sound and
objective basis on which to make decisions about the priority actions required to restore and
protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for future generations.
Many projects are likely to be of a nature and scale that will require cooperation and collaboration
with other groups, including: community groups, local government, iwi authorities, QEII Trust,
Department of Conservation, land trusts and industry groups. The Trust also encourages smaller
scale projects that provide solutions at a sub-catchment level, particularly where such projects
will provide learnings for future funding of larger scale projects.
3.2 Priorities
Priorities for funding fall into six areas. The frst three of these areas are geographically based.
1. Karapiro Dam to Te Puuaha o Waikato (the mouth of the Waikato River) referred to in map
Area A.
Priorities for Trust funding for this area include projects that address:
• Improving connectivity between di erent parts of the ecosystem (both the Waipaa and
Waikato rivers, feeder streams and lowland lakes), including between pump stations,
culverts and the like. Physical / chemical conditions are reliant on connectivity, and
many native species require access to areas they cannot currently reach;
• Management of drainage canals and other linkages between water bodies (for example
at Lake Whangape and other similar lakes to improve habitat), including projects that
involve planting native ora, and creating sinuosity in canals
• Implement control measures for koi carp and/or brown bullhead catfsh at locations
linked to key of-channel ecosystems
• Implement demonstration areas for whitebait spawning habitat enhancement and
quantify benefts
• Habitat enhancement at lakes such as Opuate and Whangape
• Revegetation of inanga spawning sites, including artifcial habitat in the short term
until native vegetation re-establishes. Projects may also consider changing hydrology
through removal of some tide gates to allow migration of inanga
• Develop management action plans to restore key ecological values in signifcant riverine
lakes and wetlands
• Forested headwater stream projects including fencing, planting and improving
connectivity with a view to improving the diversity of habitat and
• Flushing of small lakes to clear macrofora and reduce nutrient loads. Reintroduction of
macrophytes.
2. The Waipa River catchment (referred to in map Area C and part of map Area A)
The primary environmental issues are sedimentation and microbe contamination. Projects in
this area will focus on revegetation and riparian protection.
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