Nau mai haere mai ki te tomokanga mōhiohio.
Pātaka Whenua, the Māori Land Court’s new online portal, launched in June 2023. In Pātaka Whenua, landowners can find information about their whenua, search the court record, and apply to the court directly online.
“The launch of Pātaka Whenua is a huge milestone for Te Kooti Whenua Māori,” says Māori Land Court Pae Matua Steve Gunson. “We are the first jurisdiction in Aotearoa to be operational digitally, and the benefits that this technology brings to both te Kooti and landowners will be felt for generations to come.”
Pātaka Whenua is the final deliverable of the Whenua Māori Programme, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri. To date, the programme delivered business transformation for the Māori Land Court, including legislative changes, a new operating model, and streamlined business processes. As well as this, the Whenua Advisory Service and Tupu website have been stood up by Te Puni Kōkiri.
The Māori Land Information System (MLIS), the Court’s previous system which held information about whenua Māori and the court record, was only accessible in the court’s district offices. In Pātaka Whenua, landowners can access this information online, from anywhere at any time.
They can also submit applications and enquiries online and receive real time updates.
“While we know that many landowners prefer to connect with us face-to-face or over the phone, we also know that younger generations are becoming increasingly digitally savvy and will prefer the self-sufficiency that Pātaka Whenua offers,” says Steve Gunson.
“Pātaka Whenua also enables a connectedness that has not existed before – whānau living in across the ditch and further afield will have the same access to the court record, a taonga tuku iho, as those who are able to visit us in person today.”
As well as an external portal, Pātaka Whenua serves as a case management system for te Kooti, in which kaimahi will complete majority of their mahi. The new system has been designed to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
The final enhancements of the new system are planned to be delivered later this year.