Hune | June 2026
E ngā manukura o te rohe, tēnā koutou
He Raranga weaves together kōrero on the mahi we do at Waikato Regional Council.
Ngā mahi whaitake
Waikato Regional Energy Strategy 2026-2050
The Waikato region has long been an energy leader, generating 36% of New Zealand’s electricity and exporting most of it to the rest of the country. It holds 75% of New Zealand’s high‑temperature geothermal resources, has strong solar and wind potential, and is home to the Huntly Power Station and nationally significant hydro schemes. The Waikato River alone produces 10% of the country’s electricity.
These strengths position the region to anchor new low‑emissions industries and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels. If managed well, this transition can create high‑quality jobs, reduce energy hardship, strengthen economic resilience and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The Waikato Regional Energy Strategy – Te Rautaki Pūngao ā-Rohe o Waikato provides the roadmap for this shift, showing that coordinated regional action delivers the strongest outcomes. A central step is establishing a regional energy forum that brings together iwi, industry, government, infrastructure providers and major energy users to drive implementation. Through collective action and shared commitment, this strategy marks the beginning of a long‑term transition – one in which everyone has a role to play.
Strengthening the region's biodiversity future
Work is progressing on the Waikato Regional Biodiversity Strategy – Te Mauri o te Taiao, which sets a unified 25‑year pathway to halt biodiversity loss, restore ecosystem health, and focus investment where it delivers the greatest benefits for communities and nature.
A public survey is now open until 15 July 2026 to gather feedback on key elements of the draft strategy. This will be an important opportunity for iwi, hapū and community groups to share their views and help shape the direction of biodiversity action across the rohe.
Regional unitary authority favoured by council
Waikato Regional Council has signalled it favours a single unitary authority and wants to work with the Waikato Mayoral Forum to develop the option.
When regional councillors met informally to discuss the Government's Head Start pathway, they emphasised the need for regional functions to be well considered in any proposals being developed across the region. To achieve this, they said they would assist local councils to meet the criteria of regional functions, in particular catchment management and transport.
Council Chair Warren Maher said the council recognises the importance of its relationships with iwi in the rohe and will discuss the options directly with iwi.
Ngā mahi i te hapori
Wilding pine control good for mauri and economy
"For Uru Ngawera/Ngāti Pū, this land is scared. From a heritage point of view, it’s important to stop invasives from taking over. Wilding pine control is a big piece in the jigsaw of cultural and ecological restoration to restore the mauri - life force, of this land,” says Errol Gilbert, Uru Ngawera/Ngāti Pū and Tunaiti Kaitiaki Roopu Chairman.
Waikato Regional Council is undertaking wilding pine control on a 200-hectare coastal Tunaiti-Otahu block to contain and reduce the spread of wilding pines on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Rogues gallery of regional pests pops up in boat ramp artwork
"Individual actions can make a meaningful difference in safeguarding our precious freshwater environments. To put that learning into practice, students were invited to take part in an action project to create artwork for new local boat ramp signage,” says Michelle Daly, Waikato Regional Council Senior Education Advisor and Enviroschools Coordinator.
Waikato Regional Council, together with the Waikato River Authority and Department of Conservation, are teaching young people about freshwater biosecurity.
Tracking Senegal tea: how science, drones and fieldwork drive eradication efforts
Senegal tea has been found in a Waikato Delta site spanning 7 kilometres, making it the second largest Senegal tea infestation in New Zealand. The pest plant has been prioritised for eradication due to the relatively contained nature of its current infestation, which makes removal achievable with consistent effort.
The Waikato Regional Pest Management Plan guides the council’s pest control programmes and sets out the rules that occupiers in our region must comply with.
Path to Plant Pass a win for Waihī nursery
"It means that if a pest or disease is found, there are systems in place to enable a response. We really value the commitment shown by nurseries choosing to go through this process,” says Darion Embling, Waikato Regional Council Pest Plants Team Leader.
Plant Pass is an industry-led plant biosecurity certification programme supported by Waikato Regional Council.
Is extreme weather becoming more frequent?
"Before 1998, there was only a single year with four days of rain in this [extreme] percentile. But between 1998 and 2025, there have been six years with four or more of these events,” says Bevan Jenkins, Waikato Regional Council Senior Water Scientist.
Analysis of rainfall data by Waikato Regional Council shows extreme rainfall events have become more frequent and intense in some parts of the Waikato region.
Water finds a way: modelling flood risk
"Dealing with complexity is where hydrological modelling comes into its own. Using detailed topography with idealised current and future rain conditions, we can predict what might happen in future weather events, even at scales we’ve never seen before,” says Steven Cornelius, Waikato Regional Council Senior Engineer.
Waikato Regional Council recently developed a pioneering hydrological model of the Hauraki Plains catchment. The model now forms the basis of a risk assessment and potential adaptation plan for the plain.
Kauri education programme reaching Waikato students
"They are really wanting to know more detail about the how the trees might get infected with kauri disease, and the why, so we've been able to give them detailed information including what the Waikato Regional Council team does in testing soils and checking on kauri,” says Rachael Cheeseman, Waikato Regional Council Enviroschools Facilitator.
Waikato Regional Council’s kauri education team have visited 19 schools around the rohe, teaching how to protect native kauri trees.
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.
Funding opportunities
- Environmental Initiatives Fund
Valued at up to $40,000, the Environmental Initiatives Fund provides funding for up to two years to kaupapa which directly enhance and/or benefit the environment or provide environmental education. Applications close on 24 June 2026.
Tūtaki mai!
When you meet Shana Edgecombe, you quickly understand how deeply her whakapapa shapes her mahi. A descendant of Ngaati Wairere, Ngaati Maahuta, Ngaati Apakura and Ngāti Ranginui – Pirirakau iwi, Shana brings both scientific expertise and cultural insight to her role as an Environmental Monitoring Scientist.
Shana plays a vital role in building an accurate picture of the Waikato region’s environmental health. Her mahi spans air, land, water, geothermal and coastal ecosystems, gathering the data that underpins everything from land and river management plans to flood response, resource consenting and policy development.
No two days look the same. She might be waist‑deep in a river collecting data on the health of our wai, or back in the office analysing trends that will guide environmental policy. Every dataset she gathers helps us better understand and protect the ecosystems that sustain our communities.
But Shana’s contribution extends beyond science. As an iwi liaison, she helps bridge worldviews, supporting kaimahi to see how their work aligns with iwi values, aspirations and the inherent responsibility of iwi Māori to manaaki whenua and tangata.
For Shana, this mahi is deeply personal.
“As mokopuna Māori, we carry the responsibility of being kaitiaki. Working in environmental science, management or planning gives us the opportunity to speak for te taiao, to speak for our tūpuna and mokopuna, and to work collectively to improve the health of our whenua and wai. Mō tātou, ā, mō ngā uri ā muri ake nei."
