The doors to our Whitianga and Paeroa offices will be closed for the summer break from 4pm on Friday, 20 December, while our Taupō and Hamilton offices will close for the summer break at 1pm on Tuesday, 24 December. All offices will reopen on Monday, 6 January 2025. To report air or water pollution, unsafe water activities in or on a river, lake or harbour, or make a general enquiry or information request during this time, call us 24/7 on 0800 800 401.

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  1. Environment »
  2. Coastal and marine

The Waikato region's coastal and marine environment includes the west coast from Mokau in the south to Port Waikato in the north, and on the east coast, the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula. From the high tide mark out to 12 nautical miles offshore, it covers over 10,000 km2 in area, includes about 1,150 km of shoreline, and the water depth ranges from 0 to over 500 m.

Our coastal habitats and ecosystems are diverse and highly valued for recreational, commercial, and cultural reasons. Our east coast is part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park which includes Te Whanganui a Hei Marine Reserve and the Firth of Thames RAMSAR site (a wetland of international importance). All our west coast marine area is covered by the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary.

Our coasts are national treasures, but they are threatened by loss of natural character and biodiversity, and degraded water and sediment quality. Waikato Regional Council regularly monitors and reports on our region's coastal resources and how they are changing.

Find out more about the research and monitoring we do throughout the Waikato region.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR COASTAL MONITORING PROGRAMMES

Monitoring coastal and marine ecosystem health

To assess coastal and marine ecosystem health we measure aspects of coastal and marine biodiversity, sediment quality and water quality.

Monitoring coastal water quality for human health

Waikato Regional Council monitors a number of popular coastal beaches during the summer months to assess the suitability of the water for recreation such as swimming and surfing.

Monitoring coastal hazards

Coastal and shelf sea processes such as wind, climate, waves, currents and tides can generate hazards along our coastline that pose risks to human life and property such as erosion, flooding and tsunamis.

Environmental indicators

Our environmental indicators summarise the results of our coastal and marine monitoring programmes, and provide a holistic report on the state of the Waikato region's environment.

Coastal and marine research

Find out about the research and investigations we carry out to improve our understanding of the state of our marine environment.

Cam-era

Check out the live beach camera feeds at Tairua, Pauanui and Raglan.

Waikato Coastal Database

The Waikato Coastal Database provides a searchable record of available coastal and marine information for the Waikato

Coastal and marine factsheets

Find out more about our coastal environment in our coastal factsheet series.

Coastal policies and plans

See our policies and plans around the sustainable management of the Waikato region's coastal and marine environments.

Hauraki Gulf Forum (HGF)

Our coasts and coastal waters along the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula all belong to the Hauraki Gulf, and our catchments from as far south as the Waikato district flow into it. The Hauraki Gulf Forum promotes and facilitates protection and enhancement of the Hauraki Gulf, and reports on its health.