Our Rivers

Mo ngā awa te aroha, he waiaroha — For the love of rivers

The rivers we’re fighting for

Whitewater NZ works to keep Aotearoa’s rivers flowing, paddleable and open. This is where those fights live. Each river below has its own page: what the issue is, where it stands now, what we are doing, and how you can help. When something moves, we post a dated update and link it back here, so the river’s page always shows the current picture.

Our ability to act comes from our membership. The more paddlers stand behind us, the harder we are to ignore when a river is at risk. Become a member.

The Lower Matakitaki (Paddler: Ari-Anne LD) -Photo courtesy of Liam Hopkinson

Active and watching

• Kaituna. The proposed Taheke 8C dam would drown the lower gorges. The Fast-track referral has been returned, and we are watching for any resubmission.
• Mangahao. The scheme’s reconsent is now in the Fast-track process. It shapes future Mangahao flows and releases, and sits behind the Mangahao Fund. We are following it closely.
• Upper Mohaka. Access to the upper river and Oamaru Hut is blocked in practice by a lack of vehicle access and how the helicopter concession is run. We are pressing for a workable route and for concession reform.
• West Coast access. Keeping access open across West Coast rivers as land use and concessions change.

Recent outcomes

• Waitaha. Fast-track proposal for the Morgan gorge scheme was approved in April 2026. We stayed neutral and negotiated an agreement securing release days, published flow data and compensation for paddlers.

Fast-track watch

The Fast-track Approvals Act lets major projects win consent quickly, with little public input. We track every fast-track project that could affect a river in one place, and update it as things move. See where things stand.

Take action

Fast-track limits public submissions, so your best voice is your WWNZ membership and communicating your concerns with us so we can represent you. However, plenty of consents, plan reviews, and consultations still take submissions, and numbers count. When a window is open, we’ll endeavour to post a short template and the agency’s link so you can have your say in a few minutes. If you have a river issue big or small, to make us aware of, report it here.

Hear of a threat to a river?

We can only act on what we know.

• Report an access issue or a threat to a river: email communications@whitewater.nz
• Log your trips on RiverGuide, so we have current use data to draw on.
• Become a member to strengthen our voice when it matters.

Mo ngā awa te aroha, he waiaroha — For the love of rivers