E ngā manukura o te rohe, tēnā koutou
He Raranga weaves together kōrero on the mahi we do at Waikato Regional Council.
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Ngā mahi whaitake
Four new Waikato regional councillors
Waikato Regional Council has welcomed four new faces to its 14-member governing body for the 2025–2028 triennium. Keith Homes, Gary McGuire, Garry Reymer and Liz Stolwyk have officially joined the council, bringing fresh perspectives alongside the experience of returning councillors Kataraina Hodge, Tipa Mahuta, Angela Strange, Chris Hughes, Ben Dunbar-Smith, Jennifer Nickel, Warren Maher, Robert Cookson, Noel Smith and Mich’eal Downard.
The new council held its inaugural meeting on 29 October, where each elected member formally read their declaration. During the session, Cr Warren Maher was elected as Chair of the Council, with Cr Mich’eal Downard appointed as Deputy Chair. In accepting the nomination, Cr Maher said: “There is a real desire around the table to move the council forward... We have some amazing staff, some amazing people on the ground delivering incredible mahi for the region. We want to carry that forward.”
I mōhio rānei koe? Did you know our council meetings are livestreamed? Details can be found on our website here.
Council greenlights 'future-focused' coastal plan
Waikato Regional Council has approved notification of a decisions version of a new coastal plan, a major milestone following years of work and community input. Over the last five years, we have embarked on a comprehensive journey, seeking input from iwi, agencies, industry and coastal residents and users to ensure the plan reflected a broad range of perspectives. “This is a plan shaped by the region, for the region,” said Science, Policy and Information Director, Tracey May. “It’s future-focused, inclusive and developed to last."
Freshwater Policy Review
Our Freshwater Policy Review involves making changes to our freshwater planning instruments – the plans, policies, methods and rules we use for managing activities in or around fresh water. These revisions will give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 and Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato – The Vision and Strategy for the Waikato and Waipā rivers. The changes we make will also consider Treaty of Waitangi settlement obligations and the issues and solutions we hear from tangata whenua, communities and stakeholders across the rohe.
Ngā Tira Mātauranga – a forum facilitated by the council to enable tangata whenua input into the review process, has provided iwi and hapū with the opportunity to share their perspectives on freshwater kaupapa, including waimāori, mahinga kai, tauranga waka and environmental monitoring. This feedback has informed the policy development process and helped shape emerging policy direction. Further engagement is planned with iwi and hapū as well as science and technical experts in 2026 and will be followed by wider engagement with the community to test and further refine draft policy and provisions to achieve fresh water and ecosystem health outcomes.
Waste infrastructure plan
The Waikato and Bay of Plenty Cross-Regional Waste Infrastructure Plan Project are looking to partner with iwi and hapū to co-develop initiatives for a unified systems and infrastructure plan. The first phase of the project will be to develop a shared waste strategy across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, followed by a cross-regional infrastructure and systems plan supporting waste reduction, reuse and resource recovery. The project builds on insights from the Circularising Organics Project, which highlighted the importance of iwi-led solutions and the need to connect waste with broader kaupapa like food sovereignty and climate resilience.
Ngā mahi i te hapori
Digging beneath the surface of thriving societies
“With all the food we produce, it’s easy to be complacent, thinking that we have an endless abundance of versatile land and healthy soils for agriculture, but this isn’t actually the case,” Dr Haydon Jones, Soil and Land Team Leader, Waikato Regional Council.
Waikato Regional Council has 150 soil quality monitoring sites across the region, measuring nutrients, soil structure and trace elements.
Most Waikato farmers support agricultural waste reduction, reuse - report
“Most of the farmers are already incorporating reuse on their farms, and many had suggestions for where single-use packaging could be replaced with reusables,” Valerie Bianchi, Waste Prevention Advisor, Waikato Regional Council.
A Waikato Regional Council-commissioned report, Reusable packaging systems on farms in the Waikato region, explored the state of play, barriers and key opportunities for increasing reusable packaging in the region’s agricultural sector.
Surveying Waikato’s waterways: a 20-year journey of monitoring our riparian margins
“The survey provides valuable insight into the current state of our riparian margins across the region and helps us to track important changes in riparian attributes over time,” Tim Norris, Soil and Land Scientist, Waikato Regional Council.
In 2022, Waikato Regional Council monitored over 430 sites across the region and found improvements in fencing and stock exclusion, increases in native vegetation, and a decrease in stock access to waterways.
Whangapoua Harbour declared free of sabella
“The result for Whangapoua reflected a strong partnership between the council, Biosecurity New Zealand and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council dive team, whose swift actions and subsequent ongoing surveillance efforts were essential to the surveillance programme,” Dave Pickering, Marine Biosecurity Officer, Waikato Regional Council.
Waikato Regional Council conducts dive surveillance to determine the presence and extent of marine pests throughout the Coromandel Peninsula and the region’s west coast.
Invasive clams in serious hot water with innovative trial treatment
“We’re still learning about these clams and how best to manage them. But every step we take to reduce their spread helps protect our rivers and lakes for the future,” Gordon Tieman, Freshwater Biosecurity Officer, Waikato Regional Council.
With support from Biosecurity New Zealand, Waikato Regional Council’s Gordon Tieman has designed a prototype device that could heat ballast water to a temperature lethal to clam juveniles.
Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga taiohi visit
On 10 October, tauira from Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga joined Waikato Regional Council for a civics education afternoon. The interactive session offered tauira a valuable opportunity to learn about the functions of local government, engaging directly with kaimahi who shared insights into their roles and career journeys.
Rakaumanga kaiako, Ora Kihi, highlighted the inspiration drawn from former tauira Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s journey to Parliament and other whānau seeking election for local government. This exposure to both local and national politics has inspired and energised his tauira, sparking a deeper curiosity about the systems that shape their communities.
The council commended the tauira for their confidence and enthusiasm, expressing hope that the experience would empower them to raise their voices and step into leadership roles within their communities and beyond.
Civics Education Day is an initiative delivered jointly by Waikato Regional Council and Waikato District Council.
Ngā mahi whaihua
Ara mahi - career opportunities
Our people are what makes working at Waikato Regional Council so great, with a wide range of work and roles, competitive salaries and a range of benefits. Learn more about our career opportunities here.
Tuia Mentoring Programme - call for applicants
We are seeking two rangatahi Māori (aged 18 to 25 years) who reside within the Waikato rohe to join the Tuia Mentoring Programme in 2026. Tuia is a national Māori youth leadership programme that brings rangatahi together from across Aotearoa, connecting them with local leaders to learn about local government, grow leadership skills and contribute to thriving communities. If you or someone you know is ready for self-development, keen to lead positive initiatives and able to commit to five wānanga throughout the year, visit our website for application details and to apply. Applications close on 10 December 2025.
Summer Student Programme kicks off
Our Summer Student Programme is an important part of the council calendar and this year we are proud to welcome a record number of 40 rangatahi to the organisation over summer. The programme is an opportunity for tertiary students and recent graduates to gain practical work experience in a variety of roles. Opportunities include the areas of environmental monitoring, catchment management, coordination, marketing, iwi relations, and outdoor operations.
Keep an eye out on our next newsletter, where we’ll feature a few of our amazing interns and their experiences at council.
Tūtaki mai!
Meet Brandon Taoho (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Haumia), an Environmental Monitoring Officer in our Regional Consents team.
Brandon is responsible for monitoring structures across the region’s waterways and coastal marine area, ensuring compliance with the Resource Management Act and the Building Act. He first joined the council in 2020 through our Summer Student Programme. After completing his master’s degree in environmental research, Brandon returned to the council in his current role in 2023 with a desire to apply his environmental expertise and relationship‑building skills to give back to the organisation that first inspired his career in environmental protection.
Today, Brandon oversees more than 200 sites, which vary from culvert and bridge installations to river protection works and seawalls. He values the diversity of his mahi, explaining: “I get to work with businesses, communities, marae and councils to ensure each project is carried out responsibly. Together, we strive for the best outcomes, not only for the projects themselves but also for our taiao. Plus, I get to visit some amazing sites along the way.”
Above all, Brandon’s motivation is deeply personal:
“I love my whenua and want to see it protected. My role allows me to demonstrate kaitiakitanga by ensuring that any work carried out causes as little stress or harm as possible.”
