these wild river campaigns led, in 1981, to the passing of a "wild and scenic rivers" legislation and, in 1984, to the motu river becoming new zealand's first "wild and scenic river". since then 14 other wild rivers have been protected in accordance with new zealand's wild rivers legislation (with 'water conservation orders' being made), and in 2009 conservation groups have initiated a renewed and reinvigorated national scale "wild rivers" campaign with the following rationale: