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)
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)
Judges acting as mediators Kaiwhakawā Wilson Isaac Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu Judge Wilson Isaac was appointed to the Māori Land Court in March 1994. He was appointed as Deputy Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court in 1999 and the Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court, and Chair of the Waitangi Tribunal in August 2009.
Māori Land Court A GUIDE TO OUR MINUTE BOOK ABBREVIATIONS MLC-FS1- Māori Land Court Minute Book Guide – 10/05/2017.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/MLC-2017-Minute-Book-Abbreviations.pdf (470 kb)
MĀORI LAND COURT CONTACT DETAILS This application may be lodged with the Registrar at any office of the Māori Land Court.
Te Kooti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court (MLC) is the New Zealand Court that hears matters relating to Māori land.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/MOJ0217.1E-OCT21-Maori-Land-Trusts.pdf (341 kb)
1 Māori Land Update – Ngā Āhuatanga o te whenua June 2025 | Hune 2025 This update is issued by the Office of the Chief Registrar, Māori Land Court | Te Kooti Whenua Māori to provide key statistics on Māori land, including the number and total area of Māori Customary Land (MCL) and Māori Freehold Land (MFL) blocks, and how many of these are managed by trusts or incorporations versus those that are not....
Documents/Maori-Land-Data/2025-10-28-MLC-Maori-Land-Update-2025.pdf (229 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.
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.
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.
