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
Severe weather event in Ōtorohanga, Waipā districts
Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the significant rainfall event that occurred in the Ōtorohanga and Waipā districts on the evening of Friday, 13 February.
States of emergency have been declared in Ōtorohanga and Waipā districts following the severe weather event, which caused flooding, slips and impacts to roads and water infrastructure. The State of Emergency is in place until Saturday 28 February, enabling response agencies, including councils, emergency services, iwi and partner agencies, to continue accessing resources and acting quickly to support affected communities.
The weather event was extremely localised, with heavy rain falling quickly and over a very short period. Our rainfall gauges revealed the amount of rain over a six-hour period was greater than a 100-year ARI (Annual Return Interval) – and, in some places, greater than a 250-year ARI.
Our staff on the ground say they have never seen flooding impacts of this scale in the Waipā catchment before. The event moved not just water but riverbeds, rocks and trees, heavily eroding and damaging farmland and properties in the lower catchment.
Our Regional Flood Response team continues to monitor forecasts, rain gauges and river levels/flows and is working closely with Civil Defence, local authorities and other organisations and agencies in the impacted areas.
Te Huia trial secures 12-month extension
Waikato Regional Council has welcomed the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Board’s decision to approve a further 12‑month extension of the Waikato-Auckland Te Huia rail service trial.
The council had requested an extension through to June 2027, supported by 60% central government funding, to allow patronage to recover and to assess the impact of the City Rail Link opening in 2026. The extension also supports ongoing initiatives aimed at boosting passenger numbers and revenue.
Regional councillors will now consider continuing local funding at current levels when they finalise the 2026/27 budget at their next full council meeting.
Ngā mahi i te hapori
Stopping the spread: Exotic caulerpa threatens our seas
Even a tiny fragment of exotic caulerpa can hitch a ride on anchors, chains, or uncleaned gear, spreading the pest to new locations. And once established in an area, there’s no proven way to successfully eradicate it from a site.
Waikato Regional Council, with funding support from Biosecurity New Zealand, is leading a campaign throughout the Coromandel Peninsula to raise awareness about exotic caulerpa, an invasive marine species threatening our coastal ecosystems.
Coastcare Champions 2025
“Being part of key Coastcare projects like planting Te Ahurei at Maketu Marae and the huge-scale work at Nukuhakari have both been special experiences. It’s so good to see how our work can change a landscape over time,” Ray (Monty) Montgomery, Coastcare – Waikato West Coast.
Coastcare Waikato is a community partnership programme involving local communities, school groups, iwi and government organisations all working together to protect and look after our coasts and their unique taonga species.
Funding brings Mountains to the Sea lessons to schools
“Many New Zealanders, especially younger generations, are disconnected from their natural environment and we need more people to understand and want to get involved in looking after the water from the mountains to the sea,” Barb Ritchie, Friends of Whanganui o Hei Marine Reserve Trust.
Friends of Whanganui o Hei Marine Reserve Trust will receive $36,000 over two years from Waikato Regional Council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund.
Volunteers restore city gully with council help
“Our aim is to restore the gully to its original condition prior to human disturbance,” Hannah Rogers, volunteer.
Friends of Mangaonua Esplanade Society will receive nearly $38,000 over two years from Waikato Regional Council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund.
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.
Fairfield gully restoration grows environmental education
"It’s an opportunity to connect students, and the community, to the restoration that’s happening, as a place they can go to and learn about ecology, conservation, pest management, environmental monitoring, mātauranga and promoting kaitiakitanga,” Lyn Rogers, Fairfield Project.
The Fairfield Project will receive $23,944 from Waikato Regional Council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund.
Reconnecting rangatahi with te ao waka
Tauira from kura across the rohe took part in a three‑day waka noho designed to reconnect rangatahi with te ao waka. The programme aimed to deepen understanding of waka traditions, build confidence on the water and strengthen relationships between people and the taiao. Through shared responsibility and cultural learning, rangatahi strengthened their seamanship skills, cultural knowledge and sense of collective belonging.
Daily life on Haunui saw tauira involved in sail handling, steering, rope work, knot tying, safety protocols, support‑boat driving, snorkelling and crew duties such as meal preparation and managing supplies. They also studied star constellations and Te Kāpehu Whetū (star compass) through workshops on navigation, migration and the marine environment, connecting ancestral knowledge with contemporary learning aboard Haunui Waka as a living classroom.
Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā is designed for rangatahi to advance their knowledge and understanding of mātauranga Māori by utilising both traditional and contemporary approaches to environmental education and learning.
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
- Community Transport Grant Fund
The Community Transport Grant Fund is designed to support community transport initiatives within the Waikato rohe by providing financial assistance to community transport providers who offer essential transport services for health, education and social purposes. Applications close 1 March 2026. - Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund
Valued at up to $5000, the Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund supports volunteer community groups and individual landowners undertaking ecological restoration through animal and plant pest control. Applications open on 1 May and close 25 May 2026. - 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 open on 2 June and close on 24 June 2026.
Plant Pass – opportunities for iwi nurseries
There are many ways we can continue to look after our taonga species and ecosystems, and Plant Pass, the national biosecurity scheme for the plant production industry, offers one pathway to support that journey. If your iwi enterprise operates a native plant nursery, Plant Pass provides practical tools and training to reduce the risk of pests and pathogens to ensure the plants you grow and supply are safe for restoration projects. To learn more, there are a series of workshops planned in March 2026 – click here to register your interest. You can also reach out to our Biosecurity Officer, Kate Lewis via email or call 07 211 6029.
Tūtaki mai!
Meet Ben Worth (Waikato), a Communications Partner in our Communications and Marketing team.
Ben describes his mahi as one that takes complex information and turns it into something clear and easy for people to understand so they are informed and can participate meaningfully in what we do. “We deal with a lot of important kaupapa that are not automatically interesting or exciting, so my job is to find a way to make it more engaging,” says Ben. “Anyone can promote the Warriors for instance, but asking people to clean their boats and equipment so they don’t spread invisible clam larvae is a lot more challenging.”
Luckily, Ben thrives on problem solving. When tasked with finding a fresh way to raise public awareness of the various kaupapa the council needed to share, he created ‘Pass it on’ – a campaign designed to bring together a wide range of messages, tips and advice in a format that encourages people to share them across their own social media channels. “I’m proud of the ‘Pass it on’ campaign. It’s now run successfully seven times and each time it’s shown us that people care about what we do. They just need information that’s clear and easy to understand, and when we give them that, they help us spread the word."
