A Waikato farming leader and former National Party MP, John Luxton, has been appointed to co-chair the Waikato River Authority alongside Waikato-Tainui leader Tukoroirangi Morgan.
The former Maori Affairs Minister, who chairs the Dairy NZ research and advocacy group, says he's confident the farming and business interests he now represents will be able to work with iwi to clean up the awa.
Mr Luxton - one of five Crown appointees to the authority, which will manage the $210 million river clean-up - told Waatea News he expects improvement will take some time.
He says Maori are major farmers in the wider Waikato region and have an interest in ensuring that farming can continue alongside the clean-up.
