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 Trust);
Ownership Only (ownership interes...
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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.
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.
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.
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.
1 CJ Media statement, “Note from Chief Justice Winkelmann” released 25 March 2020. 2 Māori Land Court COVID-19 Court protocol as at 23 March 2020. 3 Māori Land Court COVID-19 Court protocol as at 20 April 2020. 4 Māori Land Court COVID-19 Court protocol as at 12 May 2020.
She was sworn in as the Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court in August 2023. Her appointment to this role marks the first time since 1865 that a woman has led the Māori Land Court bench.
Now, landowners and other court users can choose to resolve
disputes related to Māori land through a free tikanga-based
dispute resolution service provided by the Māori Land Court.
A mortgage or loan may be acquired by:
the sole owner of a Māori land block
all the owners of a Māori land block acting together
the trustees of a Māori land block who are empowered to raise finance against the block, or
a Māori Incorporation which holds Māori land.
