About / The Piako Waihou Catchment Trust is a community collaboration working to restore the waterways and wetlands of this area.
Based across Matamata Piako and the Hauraki Plains, we focus on restoring the health of the Piako Catchment and its communities, and we foster open communication, networking and education to support catchment-wide regeneration.
Our vision is a catchment with thriving lowland forests, flourishing flora and fauna, and a connected, resilient community. Together, we’re working to grow a healthy environment that supports both nature and people for generations to come.
Our logo is a symbol of identity, connection, and care. This is the story of a resilient catchment environment, where wellbeing is shared by all.
The Piako Waihou Catchment Trust brings together farmers, iwi, and people of all generations, united by a shared vision: to restore and protect the waterways for everyone’s wellbeing. Together we can plant native trees, fence off streams, and celebrate the return of native species.
The rivers, depicted as flowing blue and green lines in the logo’s water droplet, are the veins of the land, nourishing forests and wetlands, and connecting communities. In these waterways native fish like tuna (eel) live, and along their banks, native birds like the tūī, kererū, and the elusive mātuku (Australasian bittern) find sanctuary. These treasured species symbolise the health of wetlands and the interconnectedness of all life.
The logo’s droplet symbolises a vision: that together, people and nature can thrive, resilient in the face of change, and united in the pursuit of shared wellbeing.
Our People / Resilience, Culture, and Restoration
For generations, people have lived alongside these rivers. Local mana whenua hold deep spiritual and ancestral ties to the Piako and Waihou. Their stories speak of kaitiakitanga, where people are caretakers of the land and water. The fingerprint in the logo honors this connection: every person leaves their mark, shaping the future of the catchment.
The Piako Waihou Catchment Trust brings together farmers, iwi, townsfolk, and children, united by a shared vision: to restore and protect the rivers for everyone’s wellbeing. They plant native trees, fence off streams, and celebrate the return of native species like the mātuku. Elders share traditional knowledge, while young people learn to care for the land, ensuring the wisdom endures.
As the rivers wind through the catchment, they carry with them the hopes and dreams of all who live here. The logo’s droplet is a promise: that together, people and nature can thrive, resilient in the face of change, and united in the pursuit of shared wellbeing.
Kaupapa / Purpose
The Piako Waihou Catchment Trust works collectively with communities to advocate for catchment restoration.
Our Values
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Collaborative: We work alongside others to achieve the best outcomes for the whole catchment.
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Inclusive: We welcome and encourage involvement from all stakeholders.
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Supportive: We connect people, share knowledge and back local initiatives.
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Collective: We bring our community together to create stronger, shared impact.
We consider environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes in all planning and goal setting for the Piako Waihou Catchment and its communities.
How We Began
The Forum started in mid-2016 with a small group — a few farmers, a planter, a teacher and a Waikato Regional Council staff member — gathered around a bar leaner in Morrinsville with a shared aim: to unite the community around the health of our waterways.
By October, more than 100 people filled the Tahuna Hall for our first event, Know Your River — an incredible start that set the tone for what followed.
Since then, we’ve hosted community events, industry gatherings, clean-up days and planting days, launched projects, and built strong relationships across industry, councils, iwi and the wider community.
You can explore these on our Projects page
Our Strategy
Our Strategic Plan 2025-27 sets a clear direction: to work collectively with communities to advocate for catchment restoration, grow our organisational capacity and capability, be an accountable Trust, understand and include tangata whenua and hapū aspirations, and ensure our native biodiversity thrives through collective action.
Honouring tangata whenua aspirations is central to our long-term success. We are especially proud of the strengthening relationships with Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust and Ngāti Hauā Mahi Trust. These partnerships are increasingly reflected in successful joint initiatives such as the Rukumoana Marae Wetland Restoration Project and the Tuna Pond phase of the Waiorongomai Valley Farms wetland restoration. We want to deepen relationships with hapū across the catchment, embedding mātauranga Māori, shared values, and aspirations into restoration planning and delivery.
At the heart of everything we do is an unwavering commitment to thriving native biodiversity. Whether through planting, pest control, wetland restoration, or capability building with landowners, biodiversity outcomes remain our guiding priority and the clearest expression of our strategic intent.
Planting Philosophy / An Ecosystem Restoration Approach
The Piako Waihou Catchment Trust advocates for an ecosystem restoration approach to planting projects. This approach emphasises the planting and ongoing maintenance of a diverse range of eco-sourced native species, including colonising shrubs (quick-growing species), understory plants, and canopy trees characteristic of the local area.
Rather than focusing soley on common, fast-growing shrubs, we recommend utilising larger-sized plants at wider spacings. This strategy is particularly effective in high-nutrient lowland environments, where smaller plants are more likely to be overrun by transformative exotic species such as convolvulus, blackberry, Japanese honeysuckle, privet, woolly nightshade, and ivy.
To ensure the long-term success of these plantings, thorough site preparation and consistent maintenance are essential.
Key activities include:
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Weed Control: Eliminating transformative exotic species prior to planting and ongoing removal as needed
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Plant Releasing: Regular clearing around young plants to reduce competition from weeds and ensure growth
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Pest Management: Implementing measures to protect plants form threats such as livestock, hares, rabbits, and pūkeko.
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