In his classic book Māori Land Tenure (1977) Sir Hugh Kawharu wrote that the system of Māori land tenure created by the Native Lands Act of 1865 was an ‘engine of destruction for any tribe’s tenure of land, anywhere’ (p 15).
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/MLC-150-years-of-the-Maori-Land-Court.pdf (11 mb)
The scope of the review focuses on four key areas: • Ownership: Māori land owners are affiliated and engaged with the land; • Governance: there are appropriate structures and trustees with expertise to support effective decision-making; • Access to resources: resources are available to enact decisions; and • Utilisation: the better utilisation of Māori land is enabled.
Documents/Judges-corner-articles/MLC-2014-Jun-Judges-Corner-Ambler-J.pdf (191 kb)
Search for an ownership user guide You can find help when searching in the Search for an ownership guide here.
Apply online Download the application form Amalgamation An amalgamation merges Māori land blocks together to create a new block with common ownership.
If an owner of Māori freehold land in multiple ownership has paid more than their share of water services changes, they can apply to the Māori Land Court for a “charging order” to recover the excess amount paid.
Traditional whenua boundaries of hapū and whānau were changed and not all members were granted ownership. Individual land ownership made it easier for settlers to buy and sell land.
This will make it easier to build on Māori reservation land. OCCUPATION ORDER: An occupation order provides the right to build on a piece of land owned by multiple owners (but does not grant a title of ownership over that piece of land).
It also enables Māori landowners to seek a charging order if they have paid more than their share of water services charges on Māori freehold land held in multiple ownership. The Act also allows for appeals to the Māori Appellate Court in relation to decisions of the Māori Land Court around access to Māori land for water infrastructure.
This is the narrative of a piece of land in Te Tau Ihu – Aorere. It sets out how Judge Reeves dealt with an application for accretion and for determination of ownership, where ownership records had not been maintained for over 100 years.
If an owner of Māori freehold land in multiple ownership has paid more than their share of water services changes, they can apply to the Māori Land Court under section 69A of the Act for a charging order to recover the excess amount paid.
