Plans for Maori land on hui agenda

Maori landowners will have the chance to share their views on proposed changes to the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act this week.

Consultation hui seeking feedback on the Government's Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 Review Panel Discussion Document will be held in Rotorua and Whakatane on Thursday, and Taupo on Friday.

The Government is seeking public submissions on five major proposals - use of Maori land be able to be determined by a majority of "engaged" owners; all Maori land be capable of use and effective administration; all Maori land have effective, fit-for-purpose governance; an "enabling institutional framework" be developed to support owners of Maori land to make decisions and resolve disputes; and excessive fragmentation of Maori land be discouraged.

Associate Minister of Maori Affairs Christopher Finlayson said the review was aimed at unlocking the economic potential of Maori land while preserving its cultural significance for future generations.

"There is huge potential in Maori land that has been held back by flawed legislation and complex regulation. The propositions seek to provide the appropriate legislative framework for the retention of Maori land while at the same time making it easier for engaged owners to use and develop the land for the benefit of whanau, hapu and iwi."

Mr Finlayson said more than 27,137 blocks of Maori land were under Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993, comprising 1.42 million hectares, or around five per cent of the total land in New Zealand.

He said a 2011 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry report estimated up to 80 per cent of the land was underperforming or underutilised. "Increasing the productivity of these assets can make a contribution towards improving the well-being of Maori as well as the New Zealand economy as a whole."

Research into the aspirations of Maori land owners found they wanted to use their lands to pass on to future generations, and believed the use of the land should balance commercial and cultural imperatives.

The Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 Review Panel Discussion Document can be downloaded from www.tpk.govt.nz

Written submissions, due by May 17, can be sent to TTWMA@tpk.govt.nz or Te Ture Whenua Maori Act Review Panel, c/o Te Puni Kokiri, PO Box 3943, Wellington.

The consultation hui will start at 9.30am at Taiwhakaea Marae, Whakatane, and 2.30pm at Distinction Hotel, Rotorua, on Thursday; and 10am at the Great Lake Centre in Taupo on Friday.