November 09, 2015
Tribunal hearing sparks land bill changes
On the eve of an urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing into the reform process, Cabinet has approved changes to the draft Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill.
Lawyers for the claimants filed their submissions last Friday, meaning yesterday’s surprise dump of a substantially changed new version will have them scrambling to prepare for tomorrow’s hearing.
Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says the changes are the result of extensive consultation with Maori land owners and affected stakeholders.
It’s also a sign the government has been forced to take note of criticism by the Maori Land Court judges that the bill would not achieve what it said it would, and it could undermine Maori property rights.
Changes include putting back some of the references to the Treaty of Waitangi that are in the current act.
The plan to allow a new Maori Land Service within Te Puni Kokiri to appoint external managers or kaiwhakarite to get unutilized Maori land into production has been dropped.
Existing trusts and incorporations will not be required to turn themselves into the new management structure called rangatopu if they don’t want to.
The government is also rethinking changes to succession, including the way whangai are treated.
Whether the changes are enough to allay the concerns of claimants remains so be seen, but the way they were sprung on the claimants is unlikely to impress the tribunal.
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