Māori Land Court | Judge’s Corner
Judge D J Ambler
Review of Te Ture Whenua Act 1993
Introduction
At the beginning of April this year the Associate Minister of Māori Affairs released the
Review Panel’s report into Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.
In August 2020, the Government passed targeted
changes to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 to simplify
the legal processes for owning, occupying and using
Māori land.
Her children were William
Damon, John Henry Damon or Hone Tuhata, Inia (Iria) Tuhata II, Matoha Tuhata, Rangihanu Tuhata,
Ngaropi Tuhata, Pahi Pomare, Maui Pomare, Te Hia Pomare and Piritaka Pomare. She lived at Urenui
but died on the Chatham Islands.
In August 2020, the Government passed targeted
changes to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 to simplify
the legal processes for owning, occupying and using
Māori land.
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.
Approximately 58 per cent of Māori land is currently held by governance entities provided for under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. The Māori Land Court receives on average 1,600 applications per year in relation to the establishment and management of trusts and incorporations.
