Restoring and protecting karst lands in the Waikato

Report: TR 2022/34

Authors: PW Williams (The University of Auckland), E Overdyck (Waikato Regional Council) and I Millar (New Zealand Speleological Society).

Over the last three decades Waikato Regional Council (the council) has been developing a programme to support the protection of karst lands across the region.

Large areas of karst in the Waikato occur on land in private ownership, and a need was identified for karst-specific restoration guidelines and publicly available information promoting the protection, management and restoration of karst lands for landowners and land managers.

Waikato Regional Council subsequently produced a public factsheet introducing Waikato’s karst landscapes and promoting restoration management.

This technical report supports the factsheet and provides greater detail on the processes and values inherent in Waikato’s karst landscapes.

Recommendations include measures that can be taken by landowners, land managers and communities to support the protection of these unique landscapes.