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Waikato Regional Council’s close working relationship with the Waikato River Authority has evolved
over the past five years to a true partnership based on our shared kaupapa: the achievement of
the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato and Waipa rivers. We have developed together a strategic
approach for harnessing collective effort to improve the rivers’ health. It is an approach aligned closely
with the joint council and iwi Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai
project which is also working to protect and restore the Waikato and Waipa rivers.
Kia kaha ki tēnei kaupapa!
Paula Southgate
Chairperson, Waikato Regional Council
Building
Awareness, Reputation
& Leadership
A key task for the Waikato River Authority in its
first five years has been to build awareness of the
organisation and the role it has in ensuring a cleaner
Waikato River for the future.
In the first instance this has
been achieved by adopting
an approach of multi channel
communication. Face-to-face
presentations explaining
the purpose and goals of
the Authority have been key,
and undertaken regularly
by Board members and
the Chief Executive. The
Authority has also undertaken
communication through its
website
waikatoriver.org.nzand its quarterly newsletter
Maunga ki Tai. News media
management has also been
an important way to build
understanding with the wider
public about the role of the
Waikato River Authority.
The Authority has endeavored
to build its reputation
as an organisation that
is collaborative and
approachable. The enormity of
the clean-up task means that it
can only be achieved through
partnerships.
Although the Authority is
not required directly in its
establishing legislation to
carry out a wider leadership
role, the extent to which
this has happened has been
highly beneficial. The special
position of the co-governance
arrangement combined with
the independent nature of
the Authority has encouraged
other organisations to look to
the Waikato River Authority
to help broker positive
working relationships for the
betterment of the Waikato and
Waipa rivers.
An example of its leadership
role in action was the
formation of the Waikato
River Restoration Forum. The
Forum is a group comprised
of industry, iwi, central and
local government and all with
strong interest in seeing the
Waikato region prosper. The
Forum is a tangible way to
provide greater collaboration
and effectiveness in cleaning
up both the Waikato and Waipa
rivers. The Forum allows a
more cohesive approach to
funding initiatives and has an
overview of the Five to Fifteen
year Waikato and Waipa River
Restoration Strategy, which is
a joint undertaking by DairyNZ,
the Waikato Regional Council
and the Authority.
Restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River
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