Events on waterways

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If you're wanting to organise a race, speed trial, competition or any other organised activity on a waterway in the Waikato region, you will first need to apply for permission from Waikato Regional Council. This permission is to:

  • temporarily suspend restrictions under the Navigation Safety Bylaw and
  • reserve an area for the purpose of that activity.
Read the Navigation safety bylaw

Applying for temporary events

You can apply for a temporary event online or manually with a PDF form.

Any event at Lake Karāpiro cannot be applied for online and must still be applied for using the Temporary maritime event - Lake Karāpiro form.

Apply now online

You can apply online for events (not including Lake Karāpiro) after setting up your RealMe® logon by using the following link

Apply for a temporary maritime event

How it works

You can apply online for a temporary event.

You'll need a RealMe® account to do this. So if you don't have an account already, you'll need to create one.

Once you have logged in you will be redirected back to the Waikato Regional Council website to begin your application. You will be asked to verify your email address as part of Waikato Regional Council's Privacy Policy.

Go to our online portal https://bps.waikatoregion.govt.nz to login and/or set up your RealMe® account.

Here's some help

Temporary event application forms

Application forms for events on the region's waterways are available below. Select the correct form, depending on whether your event will be on Lake Karāpiro or another waterway.

EDITING FORMS: These forms are editable PDFs. To edit a form you'll also need to have Acrobat Reader. 
Make sure you save the document out to your desktop before you start editing! If it's a PDF and you start editing in the original version on this webpage, your changes won't save. 

Calendar of events

Check out the events we've authorised on our region's waterways.

You should also check out the full list of Lake Karāpiro events (as approved by the Lake Karāpiro Users Group). These listed events might not yet have been issued with a temporary event authorisation under the navigation safety bylaw.


LAKE KARĀPIRO
Date Event Time Zone(s)
10 - 12 May 2024 Camjet Tours during Waipa Home Show 9.00am to 5.00pm at set times of the day 3 , 4 - but NO LAKE CLOSURE - speed and proximity uplift only
22 - 23 May 2024 Rowing NZ Winter Series #2 7.00am to Midday 4, 5, 6
1 - 3 June 2024 Hawaii 2024 Campaign - World Elite Training Camp (Waka Ama) 7.00am to 5.00pm 3, 4 ,5
 
OTHER WATERWAYS
Date Time Event Location
30 June 2022 to 30 June 2028 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday Bylaw Exemption for DoC for 2.5.1 c) speed in proximity to shore Whangamarino River Wetlands area and Maramarua River Wetlands Area 
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028 Daylight Hours Bylaw Exemption for Camjet (2011) 2.5.1 a) (Camjet Vessels only), c) and d) Waikato River between Shakespeare Street Bridge in Cambridge and 50 metres downstream of the  Karapiro Hydro Dam Structure and between Victoria Street Bridge in Cambrdige and a point opposite Banks Road in Cambridge
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028 Daylight Hours Bylaw Exemption for Huka Jet - 2.5.1 c) and 2.5.1 d) Lake Aratiatia Waikato River
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028 Daylight Hours Bylaw Exemption for Freedom Adventures - 2.4.1 c) and 2.4.3 Mercury Bay specific areas
18 May 2024 7.00am to 2.30pm Hamilton Rowing Club Corporate Rowing Regatta Waikato River (Claudelands Bridge to Anzac Parade / Bridge Street Bridge)
21 September 2024 7.00am to 6.00pm Mercer River Race (NZ Water Ski Racing Association) Waikato River (Mercer Ferry Rd Bridge to The Elbow)
7 December 2024 7.00am to 5.00pm Twin Rivers 2024 (NZ Water Ski Racing Association) Piako River, Firth of Thames and Waihou River (Ngatea to Paeroa)