Māori Land Online

Māori Land Online is the definitive source of data for Māori land.  It is managed by the Ministry of Justice and replaced the Māori Land Information Base (MLIB).

Māori Land Online provides a snapshot of current ownership, trustee, memorial and block information for land that falls within the jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 and other legislation.  This is primarily Māori Customary and Māori Freehold Land, but also includes, General Land Owned by Māori, Crown Land Reserved for Māori and some treaty settlement reserves, mahingā kai and fishing rights areas.

Māori Land Court

The Māori Land Court plays an important role in the administration of Māori land in accordance with the provisions of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.  It endeavours to assist Māori landowners to promote the retention, use, development and control of Māori land as taonga tuku iho by Māori owners, their whānau, their hapū and their descendants through the delivery of core services.

Te Ture Whenua Māori Act

Te Ture Whenua Māori Act is currently under review. 

Conservation on Māori Land

The Department of Conservation’s Ngā Whenua Rāhui Fund supports the protection of indigenous ecosystems on Māori land.

The Department of Conservation’s Mātauranga Kura Taiao Fund supports hapū/iwi initiatives to retain and promote traditional Māori knowledge and its use in biodiversity management.

Ministry for the Environment

Manatū mō te Taiao (Ministry for the Environment) is the Government’s principal adviser on the environment in New Zealand and on international matters that affect the environment.

The Ministry’s website includes information about environmental legislation which includes commitment to the principle of the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Kāhui Taiao is a group within the Ministry that provides advice and information on Māori and Treaty of Waitangi issues in relation to environmental and resource management policies, and claims to the Waitangi Tribunal involving natural resources.

Consulting with Māori on environment issues

Te Puni Kōkiri has developed a national directory of iwi and Māori organisations called Te Kāhui Māngai.

Te Kāhui Māngai is a useful consultation tool for anyone wishing to contact representatives of iwi and hapū. In particular, it is the mechanism by which the Crown meets its obligations under section 35A(2) of the Resource Management Act (RMA) in which it must provide information to each local authority on iwi authorities and groups that represent hapū for the purposes of the RMA. Section 35A(2)(b) states that each local authority must include in its records all the information provided to it by the Crown. This website is the means of providing that information.

Te Kāhui Māngai is also useful for those who want to find out basic information about iwi, hapū and marae; and the role of certain other national and urban Māori organisations.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) proactively takes into account Māori interests and the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi throughout its work.  The EPA provides information for applicants when engaging with Māori and information for iwi on how to have an input into the agency’s decision making process.