Opposition MPs on the Maori affairs select committee have recommended a massive rewrite of Maori land law not proceed in its current form

But the Government has indicated it intends to push on with Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill.

Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says it will provide a clearer and more empowering legal framework for Maori land owners and governors, giving them more ability to make decisions about how their land is governed and how it is used.

In their minority report, Labour, Green and New Zealand First MPs said in fact the bill falls short of its intended objective to improve Maori land utilization.

It reduces the powers of the Maori land Court, and the proposed Maori Land Service, which will take over many of the court’s administrative functions, has still not been defined, budgeted, or tested.

The said the bill could lead to further alienation of Maori land, and it fails to address impediments to development such as landlocked land, land taken under the Public Works Act, and rating,

It’s also complex and hard to follow, and is likely to involve owners in considerable expense, unlike now when a lot of the work can be done without hiring lawyers.

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