However, “alienation” is broadly defined in Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. For instance, an alienation includes the making or grant of any lease, licence, easement, mortgage or charge or any kind of encumbrance or trust in respect of the land in the reservation.
There have, of course, been numerous ahu whenua trust orders with composite whānau trust-administered areas created since Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 gave statutory recognition to shareholdings within blocks according to discrete whakapapa groups.
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.