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.
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/Factsheet-Succession-for-whangai-web-version.pdf (172 kb)
Ko te mana o te Kooti Whenua Māori ka taka mai ki raro i te korowai o te Ture Whenua Māori 1993 (e kīia nei i roto i tēnei pukapuka ko ‘te Ture’).
Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/MLC-applications-tereo.pdf (326 kb)
Ngā Karere News 1 September 2025 | News He uiuinga whānui mā ngā kaiwhakamahi o Pātaka Whenua 2025 Pātaka Whenua (our online portal) – Court User Survey We want to hear about your experience using Pātaka Whenua and your views on how it's working for you. 28 August 2025 | News Ngā ara ture hou mā ngā kaipupuri whenua Māori i raro i te ture hou New legal pathways for Māori landowners under the Local Government (Water Servic...
However, it was in major conflict with the traditional ways of land occupation and guardianship for tangata whenua. In 1993, the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act was introduced with the purpose of preventing the loss of any more Māori land – which currently makes up approximately 6% of all land in Aotearoa New Zealand.
For more information, please contact your local Mäori Land Court office. Individual districts may mail out separate Pänui where 14 clear days notice is not provided in the National Pänui / Te Pänui ä Motu.
Documents/Panui/0724622-Ministry-of-Justice-National-Panui-September-20221.pdf (541 kb)
You can submit your application online in Pātaka Whenua. You can download and edit these PDF forms for the Māori Land Court and the Māori Appellate Court applications and email or mail them to us.
Trustees are appointed by the Māori Land Court under the jurisdiction set out in s 222 of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.
The former Chief Judge, Judge Isaac, retired from his role on 30 April, and accordingly Deputy Chief Judge Fox and Deputy Chairperson Judge Reeves have taken up the roles of Acting Chief Judge and Acting Chairperson respectively.
Occupying or building on Māori land is one of the most common uses and it enables whānau to connect with their whenua.
For more information, please contact your local Mäori Land Court office. Individual districts may mail out separate Pänui where 14 clear days notice is not provided in the National Pänui / Te Pänui ä Motu.
Documents/Panui/1102422-Ministry-of-Justice-National-Panui-December-2022-web4.pdf (729 kb)
