The Guardians Establishment Committee ("GEC") was created in March 2008 as a result of an Agreement in Principle between Waikato-Tainui and the Crown in respect of the Waikato River (the AIP) and was charged with crafting a Vision and Strategy to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River.

In October 2008, Waikato-Tainui and the Crown agreed to a revised Terms of Reference for the GEC to:

• provide advice to the Crown, Waikato-Tainui, Maniapoto, Raukawa, Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa on matters relevant to the vision and strategy;
• promote the adoption of the vision and strategy in plans and policies affecting the Waikato River;
• develop and implement education and awareness programmes in relation to the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River;
• promote policies to improve the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River; and
• act as a governance group for the scoping study to identify rehabilitation priorities in relation to the Waikato River, identify the likely cost of priority activities, and provide useful background information to the establishment and operation of the Waikato River Clean-Up Trust.

In acting as a governance group for the scoping study, the GEC may discuss with the scoping study contractor and the Crown and recommend for inclusion in the scoping study any Maatauranga Maaori projects or other rehabilitation initiatives and priorities that are identified by Waikato-Tainui, Maniapoto, Raukawa, Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu, and Ngati Tuwharetoa and are consistent with restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River.