January 22, 2024
Landlocked whenua holding back development
The Waitangi Tribunal says more than 70 percent of remaining whenua Māori in the Taihape district is landlocked.
It says while the problem of access affects Māori land nationally, it’s particularly acute in Taihape.
In a preliminary report released in advance of its main report on the broader Taihae: Ranigtikei ki Rangipo district inquiry, it recommended the setting up of a contestable fund to pay for access that may be granted by the Māori Land Court.
Past measures to fix the problems have been ineffective, breaching treaty principles.
The key flaw in the crown’s remedies is they placed the huge cost of restoring access on the owners of Māori land.
Lack or ready access to much of their remaining land has caused significant prejudice to whānau and hapū of the Taihape district, undermining their opportunities for economic development, their ability to exercise kaitiakitanga, and intergenerational transmission of mātauranga relating to those lands.