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Lower Waikato-Waipa Control Scheme

Environment Waikato has a routine maintenance programme for the Lower Waikato-Waipa Control Scheme. The maintenance programme encompasses general blockage and obstruction removal from the main channel, along with fencing and planting where riverbank erosion threatens the scheme assets.

The Council also undertakes a number of special projects that monitor the scheme’s performance and capacity and/or renew or upgrade aspects of the scheme assets as required. For the coming year, Environment Waikato plans to undertake repairs to stopbanks and other structures adjacent to the main channel of the Lower Waikato River. The non-recoverable costs of the above maintenance programme for the coming year are expected to be around $200,000.

In terms of the residual catchment grants policy established in 1987, successive governments have committed to funding a proportion of the maintenance of the Lower Waikato-Waipa Scheme. This arrangement was based on the 1977 Deed of Agreement between the Waikato Valley Authority (the predecessor of Environment Waikato) and the Crown (through the Minister of Works and Development).

Officials from the Ministry and Environment Waikato are currently assessing the annual costs of maintaining the main channel and revenue streams to support this expenditure, with a view to resolving the Crown’s long-term financial arrangements for the lower Waikato scheme by the end of this year.

In the meantime the Ministry has been appropriated $200,000 in the 2002 Budget for the Crown’s contribution to the maintenance of the Lower Waikato-Waipa Scheme. The 2002/03 period is the last year that funds have been made available under the Residual Catchment Grants programme.

Visit Environment Waikato’s website or more information on Project Watershed and river-based works and services in the greater Waikato catchment.

Last updated: 17 September 2007