The South Island Landless Natives Act 1906 was repealed in 1909 without those 53 people having received their SILNA land. The working list of potential owners was updated at a sitting of the Māori Land Court in Te Waipounamu on 9 September 2021.
HĀWEA/WĀNAKA SUBSTITUTE SILNA LAND WORKING LIST OF POTENTIAL OWNERS AS AT 23 MAY 2025 The Māori Land Court has released an updated working list of potential owners entitled to the Hāwea/Wānaka Substitute Land (Section 2 of 5 Block XIV Lower Wānaka Survey District) under Section 15 of the Ngāi Tahu Deed of Settlement 1997.
Documents/SILNA/Working-List-of-Potential-Owners-Hawea-Wanaka-SILNA-as-at-25-May-2025.pdf (1.1 mb)
As for incorporations, the Act provides that every Māori incorporation holds the land and assets “on trust” for the incorporated owners in proportion to their several interests in the land (s 250(4)).
Documents/Judges-corner-articles/MLC-2014-Jun-Judges-Corner-Ambler-J.pdf (191 kb)
Prior to 1993 the Court had the ability under s 439 of the Māori Affairs Act 1953 to recommend land be set apart as a Māori Reservation for the purposes of a burial ground.
While individual titles according to shareholding remains the means by which Māori freehold land is administered under Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993, the Act has resulted in an improved approach to Māori aspirations for their land.
That Court agreed with the Māori Land Court and ordered a further meeting of owners but endorsed the Māori Appellate Court’s decision that all of the trustees were eligible for reappointment.
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.
I attach the new Practice Note for your records and advise that you may also find a copy on the new Māori Land Court website.
Documents/Practice-notes/2023.10.17-MLC-Special-Aid-Practice-Note-FINAL.pdf (367 kb)
Page 1 For more information visit www.māorilandcourt.govt.nz MLC 07/25 - 38 APPLICATION TO ADD, REDUCE, REPLACE OR REMOVE TRUSTEES Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 Section 239 (Add, Reduce or Replace trustees) Section 240 (Remove Trustees); or Section 239 and 338(7) (Add Reduce or Replace Māori Reservation Trustees); For more information visit www.māorilandcourt.govt.nz Form 38 Rule 12.8 WHAT IS THIS FORM FOR?
Documents/Forms/MLC-Form-38-Application-to-add-reduce-replace-or-remove-trustees-202104.pdf (123 kb)
Approximately 58 per cent of Māori land is currently held by governance entities provided for under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.
