The Ashley-Rakahuri River has been shortlisted for the inaugural New Zealand River of the Year Award.

It joins two other waterways, the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River and the Raparapaririki River which have also been shortlisted for the award.

The competiton is being run by the Rivers Group which was formed in 2009 to provide a forum for people involved with and interested in rivers.

The winner will be decided by public vote and announced at the New Zealand Hydrological Society/Rivers Group joint conference dinner being held in Nelson on November 19.

Voting closes on October 31 and can be done online at: riversgroup.org.nz/about-4.

A spokesperson for the Rivers Group, Dr Helen Reid, a senior fluvial geomorphologist with Tonkin and Taylor, an environmental and engineering consultancy firm in Hamilton, says the competition attracted seven entries which were nominated by a range of people, including river scientists working for councils and consultancies, and members of community groups such as Whitewater clubs.

"The three finalists were selected based on the quality of the information supplied about each river,” Dr Reid said.

This included what attributes made each river special, how the community engaged with it and why it was important to the people who live, work, play and contribute to improving and protecting it.

The aim of the competition was to raise awareness about New Zealand’s beautiful and diverse rivers, she said.

"So people can appreciate the importance of these systems and the role they play in supporting society, be it for recreation and wellbeing, food and water supply, ecosystem services, cultural values or landscape connectivity."

The Ashley-Rakahuri River’s place on the shortlist has come as a “complete surprise" to members of the Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group (ARRG) which received high praise from the river's anonymous nominator for the work the group does protecting the river’s rare and endangered native birds.

ARRG chairwoman Sue Mardon said members were “delighted that our Ashley/Rakahuri River has been shortlisted for this new award".

The group also “felt humbled that our conservation work has been recognised along with the importance of the awa/river to Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and the care shown by other groups", she said.

Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon said it was fantastic to see the Ashley-Rakahuri River shortlisted in the competition.

“This special river is woven into the life of our district. It is part of what makes Waimakariri such a special place to call home," he said.

“I encourage everyone across Waimakariri to cast a vote and help give the Ashley-Rakahuri the national recognition it deserves."