We plan and prioritise our work by balancing our legal responsibilities, environmental risks, community priorities, partnerships, and available resources.
This helps us focus on the mahi that delivers the greatest benefit for the Waikato region — now and into the future.
Who decides what we do?
People in our rohe (region) are represented by 14 elected councillors. Councillors meet in committees to consider staff reports, make decisions, and recommend actions to the full Council, which meets monthly.
Our responsibilities sit within legislation such as the Local Government Act and the Resource Management Act. Councillors set priorities and policies that guide our work programmes. They also monitor performance and manage our financial and infrastructure strategies to ensure we use public resources responsibly.
Our planning framework
Our purpose captures our long‑term outcomes: working together for a Waikato region that has a healthy environment, vibrant communities and strong economy .
A set of connected documents guides our decisions. These link outcomes to strategic priorities and to the on‑the‑ground delivery carried out through our work programmes.
Strategic direction
Each triennium, the council sets its strategic direction, taking into account national and international trends that will affect the region and our operating environment.
The strategic direction sets out the vision and purpose, as well as the strategic priorities and outcomes we’re working towards. Everything we commit to in our long term and annual plans aligns with this direction.
Long-term plan (LTP)
Our long term plan – known as LTP for short – sets out what we’re going to do, the money we’re going to spend to do it, and the impact it will have on rates. The plan looks forward 10 years and is reviewed every three years.
To develop the plan, we ask for community feedback – not on every project, just the ones that have a significant cost, high community interest or are different from what we said we’d do in our last long term plan.
Annual plans and annual reports
Annual plans are produced in the years between our long term plans, confirming that year’s budget, activities, and any changes needed in response to new information or circumstances. These plans give a clear view of our work and update our communities on any significant changes from what was set out in the long term plan.
Our annual reports show how we performed. They set out what we achieved, how we tracked against our targets and what our financial position was over a 12-month period. It’s an open report‑back on progress and areas to improve, and it holds us to account for the commitments in both the long term plan and annual plan.