Te Ururoa Flavell
As many of our whanau come home for the holidays, it is a good time to think about our whenua.
One of my priorities as Minister of Maori Development is to finish the reform of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act, to make it easier for Maori landowners to use their land if they wish, while ensuring protections against sale remain.
I have been to dozens of hui around the country, and I appointed a panel of independent experts to speak to land owners and interested groups. People have told us they want decision-making to be easier, while ensuring our land is protected as taonga tuku iho. The bill I will introduce into Parliament early next year does that.
There are over 1.4 million hectares of Maori freehold land in Aotearoa. It is a taonga tuku iho. But much of it is not reaching its potential for whanau and hapu. Whether that means establishing conservation projects, papakainga, horticulture projects, agricultural development, wahi tapu preservation or joint business ventures, the key to our whenua reaching its potential is enabling land owners to make decisions.
Maori incorporations can deal with their land much more easily than trusts, individuals, whanau or hapu can. Often simple decisions have to be taken to the Maori Land Court for approval, which has discouraged some owners. Many are doing well, but they and the Maori Land Court still have to work within the constraints of outdated legislation that needs to be better.
The new Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill will enable those other owners, who hold around 80 per cent of Maori freehold land, to better meet their aspirations.
The draft bill has been strengthened in the past few months following extensive consultation. A new Maori Land Service will bring together existing information and services for landowners, as well as providing advice and support. The Maori Land Court remains as a key judicial body.
As this is my last column for 2015, I want to take the opportunity to thank Kelly and the team at the Rotorua Daily Post for providing me a space to share information and keep my constituents up to date with what's going on in Parliament and around Waiariki and the nation as I travel about. It is not easy covering a large electorate, so I appreciate being given the ability to stay engaged via regular columns such as this.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. Travel safely if you are going away, take care of our tamariki and mokopuna out at the beaches, on the roads, in the drive ways. Check in on your neighbours, especially our kaumatua, to ensure they are okay in coming months.
My office will be closed from December 22 to January 11.
Ma te atua koutou hei manaaki hei tiaki hoki i tenei wa. Meri Kirihimete, me nga mihi o te Tau Hou.
- Te Ururoa Flavell is the Waiariki MP and Maori Party co-leader.