1 Māori Land Update – Ngā Āhuatanga o te whenua June 2022 | Pipiri 2022 This update is issued by the Office of the Chief Registrar, Māori Land Court | Te Kooti Whenua Māori as part of the ongoing efforts to help inform and assist owners, organisations and government agencies about the characteristics of Māori Customary and Māori Freehold Land.
Documents/Maori-Land-Data/Maori-Land-Update-2022.pdf (186 kb)
Its purpose was to register all outstanding Māori Land Court orders relating to Māori land ownership in LINZ.
The changes affect all trusts, including Māori land trusts created through the Māori Land Court (such as ahu whenua, kaitiaki, and whānau trusts) and existing trusts established before the law came into force.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/Factsheet-for-landowners-Trustee-Act.pdf (68 kb)
Incorporations appear to have fallen out of favour and I know of only one that has been formed in the last 20 years. In contrast new ahu whenua trusts for the management of Māori freehold land are regularly set up through the Māori Land Court.
Te Puna Manawa Whenua, the Māori Land Court Bench Book, serves as a reference for Māori land law and Māori Land Court decisions.
Documents/Articles/Maori-Land-Court-Annual-Report-Matariki-2024-Matariki-2025.pdf (16 mb)
In your application you’ll need to provide: written consents of the trustees written consents of the beneficiaries evidence of a properly notified meeting(s) held to terminate the trust, and a schedule of land to be removed from the trust and to who those shares will be transferred If you apply to terminate a trust which was set up under section 132(6) of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act (Māori customary land being managed by another
Simple and uncontested trust matters WHAT HAS CHANGED? Historically, trust applications were heard by a Māori Land Court judge.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/Factsheet-Legislative-changes-affecting-trusts.pdf (303 kb)
Former Chief Māori Land Court Judge, who then became a Justice of the High Court, ET Durie provided the following analyses of the nature of Māori rights to land; Maori see themselves not as masters of the environment but as members of it.
Documents/Judges-corner-articles/JWI-ACPECT-Presentation-2022.pdf (540 kb)
As a result, from time to time the Māori Land Court receives applications to extend existing urupā, or to set aside Māori freehold land, or sometimes General land owned by Māori, as new urupā reservations.
(full name), make application to constitute an Ahu Whenua Trust over the Māori land blocks listed above.
Documents/Forms/MLC-Form-37-Constitute-Ahu-Whenua-Trust.pdf (246 kb)
