The Green Party wants to give marae long-term, protected funding as part of a new Tiriti policy aimed at strengthening Māori communities and building resilience across Aotearoa.
The party has unveiled Te Waonui a Tāne: Thriving Marae and Thriving Communities as part of its platform for the 2026 general election.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says marae are the living hearts of communities and need greater certainty than funding arrangements determined by the priorities of successive governments.
The policy would establish an ongoing and protected source of funding for marae, hapū and their surrounding communities.
Under Te Waonui a Tāne, funding would be delivered through two complementary pūtea.
The Te Rākau Whakarauora Restoration Fund would provide marae with access to funding for immediate and urgent needs.
A second fund, Te Tōtara Haemata Intergenerational Fund, would operate as a long-term investment designed to generate returns for future generations.
Davidson says the approach is intended to help ensure mokopuna inherit vibrant, resilient and self-determining communities while giving marae greater certainty to plan beyond individual election cycles.
Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the Greens regard marae as essential community infrastructure alongside institutions such as schools and hospitals.
The party points to the role marae play during civil defence emergencies, severe weather events and other crises, when they can become important centres for shelter, food, support and community coordination.
The Greens say climate change has made investment in marae resilience increasingly important, particularly as communities prepare for more frequent extreme weather events and other environmental pressures.
The policy also positions marae as important to social cohesion, cultural identity and maintaining connections between whānau, hapū and communities.
Te Waonui a Tāne forms part of the Green Party’s wider 2026 Tiriti policy platform and signals that investment in Māori-led community infrastructure will be a key part of its election campaign.
With the country heading towards the general election, the proposal puts the future funding of marae and the Crown’s responsibilities under Te Tiriti firmly into the political debate.
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