Source: New Zealand Government
Cabinet has agreed to 12 targeted amendments to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 that will give Māori landowners more control, speed up Māori Land Court processes and make it easier to use and develop whenua Māori, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says.
The Act sets the rules for how whenua Māori is owned, managed, passed on and developed, while helping keep it in Māori ownership.
“Whenua Māori is often owned by many descendants. A decision that would be simple for a single landowner can require extra legal steps and another trip to the Māori Land Court, costing whānau time and money,” Mr Potaka says.
“One of the biggest changes will give landowners a new voluntary option for managing their whenua, similar to the Wi Pere Trust. Those who choose it will be able to make more decisions themselves rather than having to return to the Court as often.
“This will provide more governance autonomy, making it easier to access investment and turn plans for new homes, businesses or other developments into reality.
“Whānau will choose whether to use the new structure. The protections that keep whenua Māori in Māori ownership will stay.
“We are also making it clearer who owns what, confirming that the Māori Land Court can make decisions about homes on Māori land, removing unnecessary court steps and allowing adopted people to inherit Māori land interests from their birth parents.
“The law will also be fixed so whenua without a trust or other formal body can access emergency and recovery funding where stable.
“After Cyclone Gabrielle, some whānau could not get recovery support simply because nobody was legally able to apply on behalf of their whenua. They had survived a devastating cyclone but were then blocked by paperwork when they needed help most.”
These amendments build on our Government’s wider work to help whānau bring plans for their whenua to life. This includes national standards making it easier to build papakāinga, changes supporting Te Tumu Paeroa and Māori Development Fund investment in 30 Iwi and Māori-owned whenua initiatives.
Ministry for Primary Industries research estimates that helping whenua Māori reach its productive potential could generate an additional $2.3 billion in annual revenue and create thousands of jobs.
“These changes mean more opportunities for whānau to build homes, grow businesses, create jobs and earn income from their whenua without giving it up,” Mr Potaka says.
“The protections remain, but the unnecessary barriers will go.”
An Amendment Bill will now be drafted for introduction to Parliament.
Notes to editor:
Cabinet has agreed to 12 targeted amendments covering land development, access to services, Māori Land Court efficiency and outdated administrative requirements.
The proposals include an optional management structure for Māori landowners, access to emergency and recovery support for ungoverned whenua, clearer criteria and jurisdiction for the Māori Land Court to determine ownership over dwellings on whenua Māori, stronger succession rights for adoptees and streamlined court processes.
Ministry for Primary Industries research estimates lifting the productivity of underperforming whenua Māori could generate an additional $2.3 billion in annual revenue and thousands of employment opportunities.
Te Puni Kōkiri has invested $28.081 million through the Māori Development Fund over the past two years across 30 initiatives supporting the productivity of Iwi and Māori-owned whenua.
The reforms build on the Government’s National Environmental Standards for Papakāinga and its wider work on landlocked whenua, Māori-led fast-track projects and modernising whenua Māori governance.
An Amendment Bill will now be drafted for introduction to Parliament.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/24/protecting-whenua-maori-without-holding-whanau-back/