Historically, trust applications were heard by a Māori Land Court judge. Now, if your application is assessed to be ‘simple and uncontested’, then it can be decided by a Māori Land Court registrar without a court sitting (unless you request to be heard by a judge in a court sitting).
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/Factsheet-Legislative-changes-affecting-trusts.pdf (303 kb)
Please ensure you allow plenty of time for your request to be considered, as your application will not be lodged with the Court until a decision on your request has been made.
Documents/Forms/MLC-Document-A1-request-remittal.pdf (798 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)
• Save and return to your incomplete applications. • Track progress of your applications
How-do-I-user-guides/Become-a-registered-Pataka-Whenua-user-v1-9.pdf (1.1 mb)
Pātaka Whenua Guidance Registered User Guide Date produced: 15 August 2023 Last modified: 13 December 2023 māorilandcourt.govt.nz Registered User Guide Te Kooti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court Being a registered user means you can: • Create and submit applications online • Save and return to your incomplete applications • Track progress on your applications • Pay filing fees • Submit enquiries • Receive notifications on your applications and enquir...
Documents/Troubleshooting/Registered-User-Guide-v2.pdf (956 kb)
Your application will be considered ‘uncontested’ when: • it has been notified according to Māori Land Court Rules; and • it has been published in the Māori Land Court’s National Pānui; and • no one has objected to the application.
If you are selling your land, a valuation is required to ensure the purchase price is fair, unless you’re selling your land to a whānau member.
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.
Now that your application or enquiry has been completed, you are ready to take your next steps.
To assist the Court to process and deal with these proceedings, attach to your notice of intention to appear a statement setting out your response to each of the claims made by the applicant. 4.
