Te Awa o Waikato River Symposium

28 - 29 November 2023

Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Chambers

HopuHopu, Ngāruawāhia

The purpose of Te Awa o Waikato River Symposium was to bring together Waikato River restoration practitioners, partner organisations and independent international experts to present and share their projects, philosophies and learnings about large river restoration initiatives here and around the world.

Day 1 - Tuesday 28th November - River Restoration Practitioners

AM	Agenda
8:30	Registrations
9:00	Mihimihi/Whakatau
9:10	Keynote speaker - Tipa Mahuta - Waikato River Authority Co-Chair (Keynote slides (opens in a new tab))
9:25	Overview - Dr Mike Scarsbrook (opens in a new tab) - Waikato Regional Council “Waikato Waipa river restoration timelines (opens in a new tab)”
9:40	Morning presenters: Sam Cashell - Te Puea Herangi Estate Wetland Restoration - "Te Puea Hērangi – Wetland Restoration (opens in a new tab)" Shannon Te Huia (opens in a new tab) - Pūniu River Care - "A Success Story of Pūniu River Care Incorporated (opens in a new tab)" Shannon Clarke and Hinerangi Kara (opens in a new tab) - Ani Waata Whanau Trust - "Mangeroa Gully Restoration Project (opens in a new tab)"
10:30	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
11:00	Morning tea - Networking
11:30	Late morning presenters Keri Neilson - Waikato Regional Council - "A catchment scale approach to erosion management:10 years of the Waipā Catchment Plan (opens in a new tab)" Michelle Archer - Collaboration - Koi Carp Management - "Koi Management Programme Project Challenges and Opportunities (opens in a new tab)" Anaru Begbie (opens in a new tab) - Raukawa Charitable Trust - "Waipapa Ki Arapuni Wāhi Ahurei - Cultural Landscape Mapping Project (opens in a new tab)"

PM
12:15	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
12:45	Lunch - Networking
1:45	Afternoon presenters Jaedyn Falwasser - Waikato-Tainui - "Kaitiaki Taiao (opens in a new tab)" Kevin Hutchinson - Waikato RiverCare - "Pungapunga Wetland Restoration Project (opens in a new tab)" Natasha Grainger - Collaboration - "Lake Whangape Restoration Project (opens in a new tab)"
2:30	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
3:00	Whakakapi - End of Day

Watch Day 1 YouTube Livestream (Recording) (opens in a new tab)

Day 2 - Wednesday 29th November - Independent International & National Presenters

AM	Agenda
8:30	Registrations
9:00	Mihimihi/Karakia
9:10	Keynote speaker - Stu Kneebone - Waikato River Authority Co-Chair “Policy, history and looking to the future (opens in a new tab)”
9:30	Indigenous knowledge presenters Assoc Prof Bradley Moggridge - Kamilaroi Nation, Canberra University - "Kamilaroi (Indigenous) Knowledge and Methodologies to Inform Water Management (opens in a new tab)" Assoc Prof Dan Hikuroa - University of Auckland - "Heed the Taniwha - an indigenous approach to respecting and living with rivers (opens in a new tab)" Erina Watene - Chief Scientist - Māori, New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Science Challenge - "How can we expedite the restoration of rivers from an indigenous perspective (opens in a new tab)"
10:15	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
10:45	Morning tea - Networking
11:15	Late morning presenters Dr Joseph Flotemersch- U.S Environmental Protection Agency - "Trans-scale communication in large-scale watershed management (opens in a new tab)" Prof David Hamilton - Australian Rivers Institute - "Building catchment resilience: A strategy, methodology and tool to meet future challenges (opens in a new tab)" Prof Martin Thoms- University of New England - "The study and management of large river ecosystems: Some points to ponder (opens in a new tab)"

PM
12:00	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
12:30	Lunch - Networking
1:30	Afternoon presenters Emeritus Prof Brendan Hicks – Morphum Environmental Ltd - "Conservation and restoration of tuna in the Waikato (opens in a new tab)" Dr Julia Talbot-Jones - School of Government, University of Victoria - "The economics of river restoration (opens in a new tab)" Assoc Prof Deniz Ozkundakci- Bay of Plenty Regional Council Freshwater Chair, University of Waikato - "Resilient Riverscapes - Opportunities for Enhancing Floodplain Connectivity along the Waikato River (opens in a new tab)"
2:15	Panel discussion - Audience to send questions online via Slido
3:00	Whakakapi - End of Day

Watch Day 2 YouTube Livestream (Recording) (opens in a new tab)

We invite you to view the symposium livestream recordings via the University YouTube Channel. For further information, please contact Te Tumu Whakaora Taiao - Environmental Research Institute Co-Director Tim Manukau, tim.manukau@waikato.ac.nz.