April 03, 2013
Radical change proposed for Māori land law
An expert panel reviewing Māori land law says 80 percent of Māori land remains under-developed, with continuing fragmentation of land interests providing significant challenges to use and manage.
Māori Affairs Minister, Pita Sharples and Associate Minister, Christopher Finlayson, have released a discussion document setting out the panel’s suggestions for Te Ture Whenua Māori Act.
The process is being driven by Mr Finlayson, who is also the Attorney General, so it’s likely that the document will result in action.
He says the government wants feedback on five major proposals to streamline the complex rules governing Māori land.
They include giving engaged owners the final say in land use, rather than the current situation where decisions can’t be made because many shareholders can’t be contacted.
There are over 27,000 blocks of Māori land under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act, comprising 1.4 million hectares, or around 5 percent of the total land in New Zealand.
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