Remediating waterways from impacts of flooding a key focus of $9.29m river and catchment programme in 2025/26
| Published: | 23/09/2026 |
Waikato communities are benefiting from a major programme of river and catchment management work in 2025/26, with increased investment helping Waikato Regional Council respond to the impacts of recent severe weather events while continuing long-term environmental restoration.
The Integrated Catchment Management Committee yesterday heard that Waikato Regional Council delivered approximately $9.29 million of river and catchment management work across the region.
This included the first year of a three-year programme supported by $4.2 million from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund to improve river resilience in Coromandel, Waikato, Waipā Central Waikato and West Coast catchments following a series of severe weather events.
Catchments Manager Grant Blackie said a key feature of the 2025/26 programme was an increased focus on restoring channel capacity and stabilising riverbanks to deal with the impacts from flooding in Coromandel and Waipā between October 2025 and April 2026, helping reduce future flood risk.
“This was enabled by confirmation of the funding by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, which was put to immediate use,” said Mr Blackie.
In the Waipā catchment alone, more than 45 kilometres of waterways received blockage removal, gravel management and channel reinstatement work, alongside the construction of erosion control structures to protect vulnerable riverbanks, he said.
“Thanks to this additional government funding, and strong partnerships with communities and landowners, we’ve been able to deliver a larger programme of river recovery work while continuing to invest in long-term catchment health.”
Across the region, the council worked with 331 landowners to fence waterways, retire erosion-prone land, plant native vegetation, stabilise streambanks and improve waterway resilience.
“If you look at our outputs, there was 155 kilometres of new fencing constructed. That’s about the driving distance between Hamilton and Taupō,” said Mr Blackie.
“More than half a million native plants went in the ground and 1455 hectares of land were retired from grazing.
"These projects help reduce erosion, improve water quality, restore habitat for native species, and make catchments more resilient to future weather events."
The work also included the third year of the 2024-2027 Hill Country Erosion Programme, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Te Uru Rākau and the Waikato River Authority. More than 140 landowners participated in the programme, collectively retiring 500 hectares of land, planting 166 hectares in native trees, and stabilising vulnerable hill country with 8400 poplar poles.
Committee chair Robert Cookson said the benefits of river and catchment management works was felt well beyond the fenceline.
“While much of the work happens on farms and alongside waterways, we all reap the rewards.
“Healthier catchments mean cleaner water, less erosion, reduced flood risk, stronger biodiversity and more resilient communities. Every Waikato community benefits when our rivers and landscapes are well managed.”
