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The chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Maori land law says the proposed reform will bring the governance of land trusts in line with incorporations.
Kingi Smiler, who chairs the Wairarapa Moana Incorporation, says the the big change in the 1993 Te Ture Whenua Maori was to let incorporation shareholders vote for their own committees of management rather than have them appointed by the Maori Land Court.
The new law will give a similar level of mana motuhake to land trusts.
"It’s a generational change that allows the whanau to go out their and work with their whanau through the governance leadership, the constitutional issues to make sure the land is being utilised in a way they see fit," he says.
Kingi Smiler says the reform is also opening the door for much needed change on rating and valuation, and on creating support systems to help owners develop their land.
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