Reflections after nearly 20 years as a Māori Land Court
01 Nov 2013 | NewsOnly roughly five percent of Aotearoa is now Māori land. Most Māori land is rural and much of it is remote.
Only roughly five percent of Aotearoa is now Māori land. Most Māori land is rural and much of it is remote.
Its purpose was to register all outstanding Māori Land Court orders relating to Māori land ownership in LINZ.
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.
Two types of Māori land are defined - Māori freehold land and Māori customary land.
The Māori Land Court In 2003, the Minister of Māori Affairs applied to the Māori Land Court for an inquiry pursuant to s 29 TTWMA as to successors to the four remaining SILNA blocks.
Other status types As this update is specifically for Māori Customary Land and Māori Freehold Land it excludes the following land status types that fall within the jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court: Crown Land Crown Land Reserved for Māori General Land (which maybe vested in a Māori Land Trust) General Land Owned by Māori (which maybe vested in a Māori Land
Documents/Maori-Land-Updates/Maori-Land-Update-2014.pdf (572 kb)
Other status types As this update is specifically for Māori Customary Land and Māori Freehold Land it excludes the following land status types that fall within the jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court: Crown Land Crown Land Reserved for Māori General Land (which maybe vested in a Māori Land Trust) General Land Owned by Māori (which maybe vested in a Māori Land
Documents/Maori-Land-Data/Maori-Land-Update-2014.pdf (572 kb)
The Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 introduces new provisions that allow owners of Māori land and water service providers to appeal to the Māori Land Court over decisions about access to Māori land for water infrastructure.
You will also need to be clear what the plan is for building on the land, including who the housing is for. Contact a Māori Land Court offices for further information about building on Māori land.
Good governance is the key From the experiences of Māori Land Court Judges, good governance is the key to effective utilisation of Māori land held in multiple ownership.