Waikato River Authority - Board Appointment at Ministry for the Environment, Flexible

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

The Waikato River Authority (the Authority) is a statutory body, established under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 (the Act). Its purpose is to: 

a) set the primary direction through Te Ture Whaimana, the vision and strategy to achieve the restoration and protection of the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for future generations  

b) promote an integrated, holistic, and co-ordinated approach to the implementation of the vision and strategy and the management of the Waikato River  

c) fund rehabilitation initiatives for the Waikato and Waipā Rivers (as trustee for the Waikato River Clean-up Trust). 

The duty of the members of the Authority is to act to achieve the purpose of the Authority. 

The general functions and powers of the Authority can be found in sections 23 and 24. The Authority also has resource consent functions provided for in sections 25 – 31 of the Act.   The Authority is the trustee of the Waikato River Clean-up Trust. Its object is the restoration and protection of the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for future generations. 

About the Waikato River Authority 

The Authority's work is guided by Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, a unique Treaty settlement mechanism that reflects the Crown's commitment to restoring the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River in partnership with iwi. The Authority's activities contribute to delivering on Treaty obligations by embedding iwi aspirations, fostering Māori-Crown relationships, and promoting holistic management of the river and its catchment. 

The Authority is currently reviewing Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, the vision and strategy document for the Waikato River and activities affected by it. Te Ture Whaimana is not just about the physical restoration and protection of the Awa or simply water quality. It is about the restoration and protection of the interconnected relationship between river iwi, wider community and sector/industry resource users. This is the first major review of Te Ture Whaimana since it was established as part of the River Settlement and is expected to conclude in shortly. Once concluded the Board will shift its focus to implementation. 

Skill requirements 

The Crown appoints five of the ten members of the Authority's Board, at least two of its appointees must be ordinarily resident in the Waikato region.  

The Crown is currently seeking nominations for all five Crown members from people that have the skills, and knowledge to participate effectively in the governance of the Authority, and experience to achieve the purpose of the settlement to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for future generations. They will ideally have a connection to the Waikato and Waipā Rivers and its communities.  

We seek nominations from people with experience in some or all of the below: 

• Commitment to the restoration and protection of the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River for present and future generations  

• Background in environmental science or rehabilitation   

• Knowledge of New Zealand's environmental management and planning system 

• An understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and Treaty settlements.  

• Strong financial acumen and investment management 

• Strategic governance experience.

Current Waikato River Authority composition (appointment decisions required for all Crown terms) - About - Waikato River Authority 

Fees 

Members fees for the Waikato River Authority are based on a rate $479 per day for members and $766 for the Co-Chairs. These rates have been set in accordance with Schedule 6,12(3) of the Act and the Cabinet Fees Framework. We are currently reviewing fees as a part of this appointment process.

Nominations

The Minister may seek nominations from any persons whom the Minister considers appropriate and must consider the mix of knowledge and experience already appointed to the Authority. The legislation sets out a number of other requirements that must be met when making an appointment, these can be viewed in Schedule 6 of the Act. 

Please send your expressions of interest, including a recent CV and cover letter, to BoardAppointments@mfe.govt.nz no later than 5pm, 18 May 2026. Please note successful candidates will be subject to background checks.

***PLEASE DO NOT APPLY DIRECT***