Maori surveyed over land law review

Tamarapa Lloyd wants to know what Maori organisations want from legislation about multiple-owner land.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO

Keeping their land and getting the maximum return from it are the two top aims of Maori landowner organisations, a survey has found.

The Federation of Maori Authorities (FOMA) has asked Tamarapa Lloyd, a manager at EY Tahi Ltd, to survey its members on what they want from a Government review of the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act.

The National-led Government is reviewing the act to make it easier for Maori people to use their multiple-owner land. Opinions have been raised in 19 nationwide hui (meetings).

Mr Lloyd's survey has been going six weeks and has two to go. So far 36 organisations, with a net value of $1.1billion, have responded. He urged those at the FOMA annual meeting on Sunday to fill in their forms.

Nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed so far thought they were getting a maximum or near-maximum return from their land, and using it in the best way possible. But many said fine tuning was also possible.

Most said non-participating landowners were no barrier to using their land - local authority policies, the availability of finance and shareholder support were more of a problem.

Amalgamation of shares was seen as the best answer to fragmentation of land ownership, and if land was to be handed over most would prefer to pass it to trusts or incorporations rather than to post-settlement governance entities.

Most also said the act made their governance duties clear - but Mr Lloyd didn't think it did.

When all the findings were gathered he would give them to the FOMA, which would present them to Te Puni Kokiri (the Maori Development Ministry).

One man at the meeting said details about what the Government intended were sketchy. He wanted to know how far the review would go. Some had suggested it might abolish the Maori Land Court, but Mr Lloyd said there was no appetite for that. The review was in the form of broad proposals, he said, and Associate Maori Affairs Minister Chris Finlayson had promised more consultation when a law had been drafted.