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Consolidated Statement of Service Performance
For the year ended 30 June 2023
Founding Purpose
The Waikato River Authority was established in 2010 as the custodian of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River). The Authority is also the body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the clean-up of the river as the sole trustee of the Waikato River Clean-up Trust.
The Waikato River Authority (Authority) is a statutory body formed under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010,the Ngati Tūwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010 , and with additional responsibilities arising from the Nga Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River) Act 2012 (and He Mahere Taiao – The Maniapoto Iwi Environmental Management Plan).
Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, incorporated in the settlement legislation, is taken from the lament by Kiingi Taawhiao, the second Māori King, in which he recorded his adoration for the Waikato River and the significance of the River as a treasure for all generations:
River sustains abundant life and prosperous communities who, in turn, are all responsible for restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River, and all it embraces, for generations to come.
These objectives encompass all people of the River and their relationships with it – through their communities, industries, recreation, social and cultural pursuits.
The Authority has ten Board Members, 5 of whom are appointed by each of the River Iwi and 5 appointed by the Crown.
Medium to Long Term Goals
The timeline to achieve Te Ture Whaimana is intergenerational. However, while the river system as a whole may require many decades to be fully restored and protected, there are elements to a healthy Waikato River that can, and must, be achieved at a greater pace.
The purpose of the Authority is defined in legislation as:
• Set the primary direction through the Vision and Strategy to achieve the restoration and protection of the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for future generations
• Promote an integrated, holistic, and co-ordinated approach to the implementation of the Vision and Strategy and the management of the Waikato River
• Fund rehabilitation initiatives for the Waikato River in its role as trustee for the Waikato River Clean-up Trust.
The Trust reviews funding priorities annually to ensure funding continues to be aligned with the objectives of the Trust and the Authority. Annually the Authority publishes its Funding Strategy to continue to support the work our communities do to restore and protect the Waikato River catchment which includes the Waipā River and its tributaries.
Current Period Responsibilities
The Trust administers and distributes a contestable fund to work towards the restoration and protection of the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for present and future generations (this forms the Trust’s objective). In doing so it must pay adequate regard to the Vision & Strategy and the Waikato River Independent Scoping Study (WRISS). As the sole trustee the Authority determines which projects receive funding in accordance with criteria set annually.
Description and Quantification of Outputs
The following Statement of Service Performance key performance measures have been chosen due to these aligning with the fundamentals of the Authority Vision and Strategy (completed projects):
• Iwi lead and Iwi partnership projects
• Number of native and non-native trees and shrubs planted
• Kilometres of waterways fenced
• Community engagement events held, and people attending these events
• Hectares of land restored
• Total investment by project.