April 14, 2016
Land reform bill gets go-ahead
Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell will introduce Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill into Parliament.
He says he has given full consideration to the Waitangi Tribunal report released in March, which said the reform of Maori land law was being pushed ahead without any empirical research into what was working or not working with the current Act.
Mr Flavell says the issues raised in the Tribunal’s recommendations have been addressed or will be addressed as part of the reform programme.
He rejected the tribunal's finding that there wasn't sufficient support for the bill to proceed.
He says since the tribunal hearing there has been ongoing hui with representative groups of Maori land owners as well as a further 22 public information hui and 14 wananga around the country.
He also claims formal support from the independent Ministerial Advisory Group, Iwi Chairs, the Federation of Maori Authorities, Te Tumu Paeroa and individual Maori land trusts, both large and small.
Outstanding issues can be addressed at the Select Committee stage.
Te Puni Kokiri will hold wananga later in the year on the development of a Maori Land Service that will take over many of the administrative functions now done by the Maori Land Court.
Mr Flavell says the Ture Whenua reform programme which includes the development of the Maori Land Service, the legislative review and the Whenua Maori Fund will change the way Maori interact with their land now and in the future.
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