Whangamarino Action Plan

About Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare •
What’s been done •
History of the Whangamarino catchment

The Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare are a taonga – precious natural areas of international significance. But today, they are in a highly degraded state.

Years of poor water quality, along with high levels of sediment and nutrients, have taken a toll. Invasive pest plants and animals have further damaged these ecosystems, leading to a loss of native biodiversity and diminishing the cultural, ecological and recreational values that make these places so special.

There is no quick fix. The deterioration has happened over generations and so it will take time, effort and collaboration to restore them. But this is not the responsibility of any one person or organisation. It’s a collective journey.

Together – as a community, as mana whenua, as landowners and as stewards of our environment – we all have a role to play in healing and protecting these natural areas for future generations and that’s where the Whangamarino Action Plan comes in.

The action plan will capture community-agreed objectives and prioritised actions that will guide investment and catchment management action to reverse degradation and support long-term rehabilitation of these waterbodies.

About Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare

Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare together form one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant natural landscapes. As the second-largest wetland complex in the North Island and the largest lake in the lower Waikato basin, these areas are rich in biodiversity and cultural and recreational value.

Whangamarino Wetland is internationally recognised under the Ramsar Convention for being an outstanding example of a wetland typical of its region. Lake Waikare, meanwhile, supports a wide range of native wildlife, making it a vital habitat for indigenous plant and animal species.

These waterbodies also play a key role in regional water management. As part of the Lower Waikato – Waipā Flood Control Scheme, water from the Waikato River catchment flows through Lake Waikare into Whangamarino Wetland. This scheme helps to safeguard lives, protect valuable urban and rural land as well as regionally significant infrastructure, like the railway line and State Highway 1, from the effects of prolonged and frequent flooding.

The scheme has also enabled land use to become more intensive with agriculture, particularly dairy and dry stock farming being the dominant economic activity in the area. While this has brought prosperity, it also presents challenges for the health of these unique ecosystems.

Protecting and restoring Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare requires a balance between economic activity and environmental stewardship. Together, we can ensure these taonga continue to thrive for generations to come.

Whangamarino Action Plan

Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare have faced serious environmental pressures over the last 170 or so years. Many groups, including councils, mana whenua, government agencies, landowners and community organisations have worked hard to protect and restore these significant natural areas.

Despite these efforts, the Whangamarino catchment continues to decline under the weight of modern day impacts. But the story doesn’t end here. Every action taken has laid the groundwork for what comes next.

The Whangamarino Action Plan will explore and test a wide array of rehabilitation options that build on the science, mātauranga Māori and decades of catchment management work. By building on what’s been done and working together, we can restore the vitality of Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare.

Project timeline - Deliverables and status

Timeline 2025	Jan - Mar	Apr - Jun	Jul - Sep	Oct - Dec
Complete	Project Management Plan signed off Draft Engagement Plan First Draft Action Plan
Underway	Final Engagement Plan	Round 1 Stakeholder Engagement complete Collation and testing of options Six monthly update report Summary technical report	Develop options framework
Still to come			Test options Options report	Second draft Action Plan Six monthly update report

Who’s involved

The Whangamarino Action Plan is supported by a diverse group of partners, including iwi and mana whenua, landowners, the Department of Conservation, Fish & Game, Waikato District Council, local schools and community groups.

But we all have a role to play in protecting and restoring the Whangamarino catchment. Whether it’s reducing litter, managing pests on your property, joining local conservation groups or supporting the action plan – every action, big or small, makes a difference.

Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato

The Whangamarino Action Plan aligns with Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato – the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato and Waipā Rivers.

Te Ture Whaimana has legal status as the primary direction-setting document for matters related to the Waikato and Waipā Rivers. Created through the Treaty settlement process, it captures the aspirations tangata whenua and communities have for these catchments.

The vision of Te Ture Whaimana is a future where a healthy Waikato River sustains abundant life and prosperous communities and it calls on all of us to take responsibility for restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the river and its catchments, now and for generations to come.

What’s been done

Extensive work has already been done to protect and restore Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare. These efforts provide a valuable foundation that will continue to guide and inform future actions. Read about this work below.

Lake Waikare and Whangamarino Wetland Catchment Management Plan

Completed remediation works in the Waikare and Whangamarino catchment

Whangamarino and Waikare annotated bibliography

History of the Whangamarino catchment

Lake Waikare and the Whangamarino Wetland contain a diverse range of plants and animals and are home to many rare and threatened species. These include the Australasian bittern, banded rail, grey duck, grey teal, marsh crake, New Zealand dabchick, New Zealand shoveler and spotless crake. Brown teal were once present but are now believed to be regionally extinct.

Many birds move between lakes and wetlands as food and nesting requirements change with seasonal variations in water levels. The large lakes are especially important as a refuge for moulting birds that are growing new flight feathers.

Native fish found in the lake include common smelt, grey mullet, whitebait, and longfin and shortfin tuna. The majority of these species move between the swamps, lakes, river and the sea, depending on their particular life cycles. The indigenous fen and peat bog habitats at these sites are ecologically sensitive and significant habitats, along with the swamp and marshlands, which act as a refuge for these animals.
Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare are areas of cultural importance to iwi, hapū, marae and whānau. The predominant iwi being Waikato, in particular Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Naho, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Makirangi and varying interests of other iwi, such as Ngāti Hako and Ngāti Paoa of Hauraki.

For generations, Whangamarino, Lake Waikare and the Waikato River have been vital sources of kai (food), healing and cultural sustenance. Lake Waikare, in particular, offered a rich supply of kanae (mullet), tuna (eels) and kakahi (freshwater mussels). The waterways also teemed with kōaro, kōkopu, īnanga, kōura, kaeo and a variety of birds.

The surrounding wetlands and fertile lowland areas were carefully cultivated, supporting māra kai (gardens) that thrived in the nutrient-rich soils. For tangata whenua, the seasonal flooding of the Waikato River, especially prior to European settlement, was seen as a blessing as this was understood to be among the most productive times for harvesting fish as the rising waters carried kai from the wetlands into the lake.

On the eastern side of Lake Waikare, a thermal vent was also used by tangata whenua for rongoā or traditional healing practices, highlighting the spiritual and medicinal significance of the area.
Historically, the floodplain of the lower Waikato was characterised by poorly drained wetlands, lakes, and flood-prone lowlands. European settlement transformed this landscape, initiating agricultural development from the late 1860s. Early farming began near Lake Waikare, with sheep farming established by 1873. Despite frequent flooding, settlers persisted, using rivers and lakes for transport and access.

Significant agricultural expansion occurred in the early 20th century, notably with the Craig family's 1374-acre estate supporting sheep farming and fodder production for a horse transport business. Infrastructure such as railway yards in Ohinewai facilitated livestock transport to Auckland.

Agricultural progress was gradual due to limited access, but improved with road development and post-war technologies like bulldozers and aerial topdressing. Over time, sheep farming gave way to dairy and beef cattle. While livestock types evolved, overall stock numbers remained stable. Today, agriculture continues to be the backbone of the catchment, supported by modern, sustainable farming practices.
In 1907, the Whangamarino catchment experienced its largest recorded flood, prompting a shift in water management approaches. After enduring three major floods by the 1950s, the devastating February 1958 event led to the development of the Waikato Flood Protection Scheme, recognised nationally as a priority for flood control.

A key component of this system is the Lower Waikato-Waipā Flood Control Scheme, which provides flood protection and improved drainage across the lower Waikato and Waipā floodplains. It uses Lake Waikare and the Whangamarino Wetland as controlled flood storage areas, capable of holding up to 75 million cubic meters of water. Water is diverted from the Waikato River via the Rangiriri Spillway with additional inflow from the catchment of Lake Waikare.

The scheme includes gates, stopbanks and canals to manage water levels and flow direction. Coordinated gate closures prevent backflow from the Waikato River into the wetland, protecting farmland and infrastructure. Benefits of the scheme include safeguarding State Highway 1 and the main trunk railway, reducing flood levels between Huntly and Port Waikato, easing pressure on stopbanks and protecting around 1,500 hectares of farmland near Lake Waikare.
There are a variety of landowners within the Lake Waikare and Whangamarino wetland catchment area. A large percentage of the catchment area, including 1192 hectares of Whangamarino Wetland, is in private ownership. The remaining parts of the catchment area are owned and/or administered by Crown agencies, territorial authorities, iwi or the Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game Council.

Whangamarino Action Plan

About Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare

Whangamarino Action Plan

Project timeline - Deliverables and status

Who’s involved

Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato

What’s been done

Lake Waikare and Whangamarino Wetland Catchment Management Plan

Completed remediation works in the Waikare and Whangamarino catchment

Whangamarino and Waikare annotated bibliography

History of the Whangamarino catchment

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