Events on waterways

On this page:

Apply to conduct a temporary maritime event •
Help with applications •
Calendar of events

If you're wanting to organise a race, speed trial, competition or any other organised recreational activity on a waterway in the Waikato region, you will first need to apply for permission from Waikato Regional Council. This permission is to:

temporarily suspend restrictions under the Navigation Safety Bylaw, and
reserve an area for the purpose of that activity.

Apply to conduct a temporary maritime event

Note: Events held at Lake Karāpiro cannot be applied for online through us. Please email info@lakekarapiro.co.nz to discuss your event and request an application form and discuss your event. They will require you to submit a draft application form at least 12 weeks before the event date.

To apply online, you'll need a RealMe® account. If you don't have an account already, you'll need to create one. Once you have logged in you will be redirected back to the Waikato Regional Council website to begin your application. You will be asked to verify your email address as part of Waikato Regional Council's Privacy Policy. Go to our online portal to login and/or set up your RealMe® account.
If you wish to use the PDF application form, please download and save it first before you start entering information.

Here's some help with your application

Call our resource consents team during office hours on freephone 0800 800 401.
Call our resource consents team during office hours on freephone 0800 800 401.
You will receive a response from Waikato Regional Council within 7-10 days, acknowledging receipt of your application. If you haven’t heard back from us about your application, please call our resource consents team during office hours on freephone 0800 800 401.
Waikato Regional Council treats the privacy of our customers seriously, so this verification is required as part of our Privacy Policy.
The cost of a temporary event is $161.00 incl GST. This charge is a full, one-off processing fee, not a deposit. An invoice will be sent to you when your application is entered.

Calendar of events

The calendar below lists current and upcoming events on our region's waterways that have been authorised by Waikato Regional Council.

You should also check out the full list of Lake Karāpiro events (as approved by the Lake Karāpiro Users Group), as events listed there might not yet have been issued with a temporary event authorisation from Waikato Regional Council.

Lake Karāpiro
Date	Event	Time	Zone(s)
9 - 10 July 2026	Rowing NZ Winter Series #3	7.00am to 11.00am	4, 5, 6
24 - 26 July 2026	Rowing NZ Pathway Assessment Regatta	6.00am to Midday (24th) 6.00am to 5.00pm (25th) 6.00am to 1.00pm (26th)	4, 5, 6

Other waterways
Date	Time	Event	Location
30 June 2022 to 30 June 2028	8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday	Bylaw Exemption for DoC for 2.5.1 c) speed in proximity to shore	Whangamarino River Wetlands area and Maramarua River Wetlands Area
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028	Daylight Hours	Bylaw Exemption for Camjet (2011) 2.5.1 a) (Camjet Vessels only), c) and d)	Waikato River between Shakespeare Street Bridge in Cambridge and 50 metres downstream of the Karapiro Hydro Dam Structure and between Victoria Street Bridge in Cambridge and a point opposite Banks Road in Cambridge
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028	Daylight Hours	Bylaw Exemption for Huka Jet - 2.5.1 c) and 2.5.1 d)	Lake Aratiatia Waikato River
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028	Daylight Hours	Bylaw Exemption for Freedom Adventures - 2.4.1 c) and 2.4.3	Mercury Bay specific areas
10 November 2024 to 30 June 2028	Daylight Hours	Bylaw Exemption for Whitianga Volunteer Coastguard during emergency deployment for 2.4.1 and 2.5.1 for everything except b)	Whitianga River, Whitianga