New significant changes to draft Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill reported …

A new draft of Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill and details around new consultation hui have been recently released.

The full text of the updated draft Bill is now available on the Te Puni Kokiri website.

The new draft Bill makes further significant changes to Māori Land Law and administration. It is important that owners of Māori freehold land, and governors of Māori Land Trusts and Incorporations have their say during the upcoming consultation process.

Some of the key changes to the new draft Bill are:

• Removing the controversial managing kaiwhakarite proposal and replacing the administrative kaiwhakarite proposal with a new ‘Kaiwhakahaere’ model;
• Giving existing Māori Ahu Whenua Trusts and Incorporations the option to continue operating as the same entity under the Bill’s new governance body provisions or to become rangatopu - the new governance body established by the Bill;
• Delaying the application of the Bill’s quorum and eligibility requirements for trustees and committee members of existing Māori Trusts and Incorporations by three years;
• New provisions for the process to appoint a governance body to administer Māori freehold land; and
• Amending the requirement to establish a whānau trust when a Māori landowner dies without a will, and allowing eligible beneficiaries to apply for a court order vesting the deceased’s land or interests in an eligible beneficiary.

Consultation hui

The regional consultation hui for the Bill are taking place from Tuesday 9 February 2016 to Friday 26 February 2016. Details for your area The new draft Billl

We are available to provide advice about the new changes in the Bill and implications for your Māori Incorporation, Trust or Organisation.