• An ahu whenua trust holds and manages the land on behalf of all the registered owners. • A whenua tōpū trust holds and manages the land for the use of hapū or iwi.
How-do-I-user-guides/How-to-constitute-an-ahu-whenua-trust-or-whenua-topu-trust.pdf (539 kb)
Use this form when transferring interests in Māori Land by sale or gift between owners in the same block, owners and their children or owners and any other member of the preferred class of alienee.
A set of principles that form the constitution of an organisation. 14. The owner of a beneficial interest in land. Where land is vested in trustees, the trustees own the land as legal owners on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/MOJ0217.4E-OCT21-Maori-Reservations.pdf (348 kb)
When searching for ownership it will show: • Owners details • Block associated with that owner • Share amounts • Any Trusts if applicable 2.9 SEARCHING OWNERSHIP TIP: When looking for an owner put a “%” (wildcard) in between the first and last name.
From 1 July 2025, the Māori Land Court fees will increase by 3.65%. The details are set out below.
Documents/Articles/Detailed-list-of-fee-changes.pdf (287 kb)
1 Notification of applications that remain outstanding in the office of the Chief Registrar, Wellington Hepetema | September 2026 TAKE NOTICE THAT the following schedule of applications, currently held in the Office of the Chief Registrar in Wellington, received up to the panui closing date of 8th of July 2026, are hereby notified, pursuant to rules 3.18, 5.3 and 8.2(3) of the Māori Land Court Rules 2011, as being outstanding and have yet to be determined or set down...
Currently, the land is held in trust until the owners can receive the land.
A copy of the notice of the meeting given to the beneficial owners is attached (including any newspaper advertisement. 7.
Documents/Forms/MLC-Form-38-Application-to-add-reduce-replace-or-remove-trustees-202104.pdf (299 kb)
Māori freehold land is owned in common in unequal shares. This means that each owner owns each piece of the land in that share.
These rules ensure that the Act’s kaupapa is met – to promote the retention of Māori land in the hands of its owners and their whānau and hapū 4 and to facilitate the occupation, development, and utilisation of that land for the benefit of its owners and their whānau and hapū.
