Who We Are

The Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust was established to foster and enhance the sustainable management of ecological resources in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments. The background to the Trust, its purpose, objectives, policies and strategic directions are available in its strategic plan. Clicking on the icon below will enable you to view a pdf version of the Trust's Strategic Plan. The Trust's purpose, objectives and its background (extracted from that plan) are included below.

The Trust's Strategic Plan

Trust Purpose

The Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust was established for the following charitable purposes:

• To foster and enhance the sustainable management of the ecological resources in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments;
  
• To mitigate adverse effects of the operation of the Hydro Scheme on the ecological environments in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments;
  
• To maintain and enhance indigenous biodiversity, the sports fishery and game bird populations in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments through appropriate and sustainable species and habitat management by:
  
  1. identifying important habitats and/or species;
     
  2. identifying risks and threats to those identified habitats and/or species;
     
  3. identifying most practicable means to ameliorate or resolve risks and threats to habitats and species in the catchment;
     
  4. identifying practical means to enhance important habitats and/or species;
     
  5. establishing an enduring and beneficial working partnership between Mighty River Power and the Trust.

Trust Objectives

Objectives of the trust are:

1. Enhancement of wetland values in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments.
   
2. Enhancement of indigenous biodiversity in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments.
   
3. Enhancement of the sports fishery and game bird population in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments.
   
4. Mitigation of any adverse effects of the operation of the Waikato Hydro System on the ecological environments in the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments.

Background

The Trust was established as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding between Mighty River Power and parties with ecological interests in Lake Taupo and the Waikato River during the resource consents process for operation of the Waikato Hydro Scheme.

The organisations who are parties to this Trust are Mighty River Power, Department of Conservation, Fish and Game New Zealand Auckland/Waikato Region, Fish and Game New Zealand Eastern Region, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society Incorporated and the Advisory Committee for Regional Environment.

Mighty River Power, the owner and operator of the Waikato Hydro Scheme, applied under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to replace the expiring resource consents that authorise the operation of the Hydro Scheme. Those organisations who are parties to this Trust worked together to develop an appropriate response in RMA terms to those applications. They recognised that there are a variety of ecological changes occurring in Lake Taupo, the Waikato River and hydro lake environments as a result of natural processes, other activities in the catchment and the operation of the Hydro Scheme.

In response to these changes the parties considered it desirable to develop a practical means of achieving:

• an acceptable response to the ongoing ecological changes occurring throughout the Lake Taupo and Waikato River catchments;
  
• an acceptable response to changes associated with the operation of the Waikato hydro system; and
  
• wider ecological benefits.

Accordingly the parties worked together to develop a Memorandum of Understanding, dated 15 October 2002. Included in the outcomes of the Memorandum was the establishment of a Trust with the purposes and objectives as set out above.