Cabinet has agreed to 12 targeted amendments to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993, which it says will give Māori landowners more control, speed up Māori Land Court processes and make it easier to use and develop whenua Māori.
The Act sets the rules for how whenua Māori is owned, managed, passed on and developed, while helping keep it in Māori ownership, said Māori Development Minister, Tama Potaka.
“Whenua Māori is often owned by many descendants. A decision that would be simple for a single landowner can require extra legal steps and another trip to the Māori Land Court, costing whānau time and money,” Mr Potaka says.
“One of the biggest changes will give landowners a new voluntary option for managing their whenua, similar to the Wi Pere Trust. Those who choose it will be able to make more decisions themselves rather than having to return to the Court as often.”
This will provide more governance autonomy, making it easier to access investment and turn plans for new homes, businesses or other developments into reality, said the Minister.
“Whānau will choose whether to use the new structure. The protections that keep whenua Māori in Māori ownership will stay.”
“We are also making it clearer who owns what, confirming that the Māori Land Court can make decisions about homes on Māori land, removing unnecessary court steps and allowing adopted people to inherit Māori land interests from their birth parents.”
The law will also be fixed so that whenua without a trust or other formal body can access emergency and recovery funding where stable.
“After Cyclone Gabrielle, some whānau could not get recovery support simply because nobody was legally able to apply on behalf of their whenua. They had survived a devastating cyclone but were then blocked by paperwork when they needed help most.”
“These amendments build on our Government’s wider work to help whānau bring plans for their whenua to life. This includes national standards making it easier to build papakāinga, changes supporting Te Tumu Paeroa and Māori Development Fund investment in 30 Iwi and Māori-owned whenua initiatives.”
He said Ministry for Primary Industries research estimates that helping whenua Māori reach its productive potential could generate an additional $2.3 billion in annual revenue and create thousands of jobs.
“These changes mean more opportunities for whānau to build homes, grow businesses, create jobs and earn income from their whenua without giving it up,” Mr Potaka says.
“The protections remain, but the unnecessary barriers will go.”
An Amendment Bill will now be drafted for introduction to Parliament.
