22 / 60
initiatives to clean-up the river through its
statutory powers and its funding of those
with statutory responsibilities such as the
Waikato Regional Council and industry
responsibilities such as DairyNZ. In this
regard, in early 2013 the Waikato Economic
Impact Joint Venture was established. The
primary project partners are the Ministry
for Primary Industries and Ministry for the
Environment, the Authority, Waikato Regional
Council and DairyNZ. Similar collaborative
processes have been formed with Waikato
Regional Council’s Healthy Rivers: Plan for
Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai
(‘Healthy Rivers Plan Change’). The Plan
Change will help achieve reduction, over
time, of sediment, bacteria and nutrients
(nitrogen and phosphorus) entering water
bodies (including groundwater) in the
Waikato and Waipa River catchments.
There are a number of critical success factors
that require improvement in the Authority’s
role to effectively lead the clean-up of the
Waikato River. To meet this challenge the
following is the current focus of the Authority:
• forge the way in this new era of
co-management in respect of the
Waikato River;
• continue good governance practices;
• advocate for the Vision and Strategy as
the primary direction-setting document
for the Waikato and Waipa rivers;
• ensure decisions are being made on
the basis of sound evidence, through
māutaranga Māori and with good science;
• promote the long term Vision and
Strategy for river clean-up, through a
collaborative approach and via others;
• effectively use the funding resource
available to it, to target areas where the
greatest leverage is achieved in cleaning
up the river;
• align business planning and budgets to
the above challenges to monitor and
report on the achievements.
The Authority’s challenge in the next five
years relates to the increasing recognition
that the Waikato and Waipa River catchment
is coming under pressure from competing
uses and in some critical areas it is
approaching biophysical and usage limits
for water quality and quantity. The ability to
make marginal improvements has gone and a
step change in response is required.
The recently established Waikato River
and Waipa River Restoration Forum (which
includes representatives from the Authority
and the five Waikato River iwi, Department
of Conservation, Fonterra, DairyNZ, Mighty
River Power, Genesis Energy, territorial
authorities in the region and the Waikato
Regional Council) will have a significant role
in achieving integrated restoration for the
benefit of the river.
The first priority for the Forum is the
preparation of a five-15 year Waikato River
and Waipa River Restoration Strategy. This
Strategy will guide all Forum members
engaged in restoration activities to ensure
the most appropriate, logical, coordinated,
effective and efficient approach to
restoration is adopted. The Strategy builds
on the previous work of the WRISS.
Essentially the Strategy will ensure best
return for resources. It will also help to
co-ordinate a range of work to provide
efficiencies where possible.
Restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River
20