Waikato Regional Heritage Forum

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Historic places have lasting value in their own right and provide evidence of the origins of New Zealand’s distinct society.

The Waikato Regional Heritage Forum was established in 2017 to coordinate heritage management between local authorities, iwi partners and stakeholders across the region – particularly under the Resource Management Act 1991. The forum has met twice a year since its inception.

Working collaboratively allows us to improve the way we identify, protect, manage and promote the Waikato region’s historic and cultural heritage.

We aim to retain the identity and integrity of the region’s history and culture through shared knowledge and coordinated action.

Who’s involved?

Facilitated by Waikato Regional Council, the forum reports to the Waikato Mayoral Forum. It operates with a rotating chair and location, supported by a secretariat drawn from its members.

The forum brings together non-political heritage stakeholders from across the Waikato region, including representatives from:

  • each local authority in the Waikato region
  • iwi from across the region
  • the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
  • Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
  • the New Zealand History Federation.

Our role

The purpose of the forum is defined in the Waikato Regional Policy Statement (WRPS).

Our role is to be the main conduit to facilitate collaborative, consistent and integrated management of historic and cultural heritage resources:

  • working towards a common understanding on what heritage resources exist and what state they are in
  • improving understanding, information sharing and cooperative planning to manage or protect heritage resources across the region.
  • developing a regional heritage inventory for the Waikato region to better understand and document significant places.

New Zealand Heritage List

Heritage and conservation efforts in New Zealand are led by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Department of Conservation (DOC), focusing on preserving both our natural and cultural heritage.

Our work with these agencies helps inform the significant natural and cultural heritage in our region that appears on the national New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero.

Regional Heritage Inventory

The Waikato Regional Heritage Forum is in the process of developing a supporting Regional Heritage Inventory. The inventory will be a non-statutory tool used to collate and update existing inventories, and monitor the extent and condition of regional heritage resources over time

The Regional Heritage Inventory will contain the sites identified on the New Zealand Heritage list for the Waikato region, as well as additional sites of particular local and regional significance.

While these additional sites would not immediately have equivalent status to heritage listed sites, being part of the inventory would enable them to be taken into account through local authority planning processes.

Through such processes, some sites in the inventory could possibly become subject to additional regional and/or district rules in the future.

Sites identified through our regional inventory could also acquire national heritage listed status in the future.

Once developed, we plan to make the list available here, along with more details on what having a property appear in the inventory would mean for you. 

Key legislation

  • RMA policy and plans must address a number of key matters to manage the effects of land use and development on heritage. This includes defining, identifying and mapping heritage, and assessing historic sites, heritage values, incentives and regulatory controls.

     

    Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)