Waikato Regional Council
Regional council in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Waikato Regional Council is the regional local government authority that administers the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. It was formerly known as Environment Waikato but this name is no longer used.
Type
Established6 March 1989, 37 years ago
Chair
Warren Maher, Rates Control Team
since 29 October 2025
since 29 October 2025
Deputy
Mich'eal Downard, Rates Control Team
since 29 October 2025
since 29 October 2025
Waikato Regional Council Te Kaunihera ā Rohe o Waikato | |
|---|---|
| Regional councils of New Zealand | |
| |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Established | 6 March 1989, 37 years ago |
| Leadership | |
Chair | Warren Maher, Rates Control Team since 29 October 2025 |
Deputy | Mich'eal Downard, Rates Control Team since 29 October 2025 |
CEO | Craig Hobbs since 3 February 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 14 seats |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 3 years, renewable |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 11 October 2025 |
Next election | 2028 |
| Website | |
| waikatoregion | |
The current chairperson is Warren Maher, who was elected on 29 October 2025 following the 2025 local election. Deputy Mich'eal Downard was also elected then.[1]
List of chairpersons
Councillors
| Councillor | Affiliation[3] | Constituency | In office since | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pamela Storey (Chair) | Independent | Waikato general | 18 October 2019 | |
| Bruce Clarkson (Deputy) | Independent | Hamilton general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Angela Strange | Independent | Hamilton general | 18 October 2019 | |
| Jennifer Nickel | Independent | Hamilton general | 18 October 2019 | |
| Chris Hughes | Independent | Hamilton general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Mich'eal Downard | Independent | Taupō-Rotorua general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Warren Maher | Independent | Thames‐Coromandel general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Ben Dunbar-Smith | Independent | Waihou general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Robert Cookson | Independent | Waihou general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Noel Smith | Independent | Waikato general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Stu Kneebone | Independent | Waipa-King Country general | 15 October 2010 | |
| Clyde Graaf | Independent | Waipa-King Country general | 15 October 2022 | |
| Tipa Mahuta | Independent | Ngā Hau e Whā Māori | October 2013 | |
| Kataraina Hodge | Independent | Ngā Tai ki Uta Māori | October 2016 | |