Williams, C. (2005, November). Report on the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). Avon Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust. 

Comissioned by the Avon Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust in 2005, the purpose of this report was to provide guidance on the requirements for Te Ihutai to be nominated for the Ramsar List on the Convention for Wetlands. This related to goals outlined in the 2004 Ihutai Management Plan for Te Ihutai to be recognised as a wetland of international importance on the Ramsar list.

Ramsar sites are internationally recognised as multiple use areas which provide vital goods and services to people and contribute to the conservation of biological diversity. This report determined that Te Ihutai met seven of the eight criteria to be eligible for the Ramsar list, with the exception of Criterion 7 due to a lack of data on indigenous fish species in the estuary at the time. It was therefore recommended that the Estuary Trust support the nomination of Te Ihutai for Ramsar listing as a wetland of international importance and take on the role of sponsoring organisation for this nomination.

While the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands does not provide legal protection for Te Ihutai, Aotearoa New Zealand is a contracting party to the convention and therefore obligated to include wetland conservation considerations in national land use planning.