Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 (PC1)

Plan Change 1 (PC1) is the bold first step in an 80-year journey to improve the water quality of the Waikato and Waipā Rivers so they are safe for food gathering along their entire length and meet the requirements of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River.

Our rivers show clear signs of contaminants, with increased algal blooms and decreased swimmability. The longer we wait to address these effects, the harder and more expensive it will be to fix. That’s where PC1 comes in.

PC1 changes the Waikato Regional Plan, with rules to manage both point source discharges (such as sewage from towns and waste from factories) and non-point source discharges linked to agriculture. Developed with the community, PC1 allows everyone in the catchment to manage nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and bacteria in the Waikato and Waipā Rivers.

On this page:

Latest developments •
Plan stages and information

Read our response to misinformation around Plan Change 1

What is the latest development?

On 27 February 2026, the Environment Court released a second interim decision relating only to the status of permitted activity rules in the plan. The decision of the Court provided an interim determination that seeks to clarify PC1 provisions in light of a recent amendment to the Resource Management Act. The Court invited parties to lodge any further evidence “that could potentially mean a different determination would or could result”. Waikato Regional Council will need time to consider this interim decision before deciding next steps.

The Environment Court released its first interim decision on appeals on PC1 on 28 May 2025. This interim decision provides much anticipated clarity on some matters and has generated more work to do before a final decision is released.

Parties involved in the appeal process, including the council, will need to respond to this decision. Our response to directions from the Court is required by late July 2025.

The Court indicated it will likely reconvene the hearing in September to consider the proposed amendments and consider the need to initiate a process to address ‘out of scope’ matters. As it stands, the Court suggests a final decision could be issued by the end of 2025.

A decisions version of the proposed plan change that considered 1100 individual submissions, was notified in April 2020 and subsequently appealed by a number of parties. It is these appeals the Environment Court has made their interim decision on.

Interim Environment Court Decisions on PC1

The Environment Court’s decision addresses a wide range of aspects of PC1. An ‘interim decision’ means the Court wants further input from the parties involved before making a final decision about how PC1 should be worded. The Court would like drafts or changes to some provisions and more information about several matters it found insufficient.
There is no change in how you go about your farming operation at this time. The court decision reaffirms restrictions on land use change that have been in place since late 2016 .

The decision clearly indicates the likely shape of PC1, which helps everyone prepare to implement it. However, the interim decision does not change the legal effect of the PC1 rules, and the version attached to the decision that the council notified on 22 April 2020 remains the proposed plan change under the Resource Management Act 1991. Rule 3.11.4.2 of PC1 therefore maintains interim permitted activity status for most farming activities.

The current Waikato Regional Plan remains unchanged alongside PC1 until the final version of PC1 effectively updates the regional plan (or PC1 must be treated as operative under s 86F of the Resource Management Act 1991).

If you have recently applied for consent, or plan to soon, Waikato Regional Council can help you if you have any questions about your application.
While no action is required of farmers at this stage, you might consider the actions below to get you on the front foot and benefit the environment, regardless of when we find out the final decision.

Start mapping
- Erosion sites, critical source areas, stock crossing points and other potential sources of contaminant loss on your farm must be mapped. Make sure that you have, or can access, a digital farm map and start noting these areas when you are out on the farm.
Keep on fencing
- Plan Change 1 will require steady progress on stock exclusion. Any waterways you can fence now will help towards meeting the requirements.
Review good management practices
- Supported through farm plans, farmers are expected to implement good management practices over time. Now is a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with relevant information available from your industry body and to identify any changes that may be needed to support achieving these expectations.
The interim decision is a significant step forward for PC1. It gives the parties and community a greater understanding of the likely shape of regulation in the Waikato and Waipā River catchments. However, PC1 still needs to follow the steps below before it can replace the relevant provisions in the operative Waikato Regional Plan.
The Court gave this potential timeline for PC1 (subject to change on direction of the Environment Court):
- 27 June - Preliminary submissions on aspects of the interim decision by parties to the appeal process (in particular, all parties are invited to consider whether there are any remaining matters in dispute that are not addressed by the decision).
- 25 July - WRC must provide the Court with its proposed amendments to PC1 following the interim decision and taking into account feedback from parties.
- June/July - Anticipated amendments to s 70 of the RMA take effect (being legislative changes which apply to rules about discharges).
- September - Placeholder to reconvene hearing that considers proposed amendments, changes to s 70 and any matters relating to a s 293 process (the latter being a process to include a method for managing the risk of nitrogen losses from commercial vegetable production that was not requested in the appeals).
- October - Initiate s 293 process.
- December target - Issue final decision, except where required to address amendments to s 70 and subject to any need for a s 293 process.
- First quarter 2026 - Hearing of s 293 matters.