1

Maori Land and Effective Planning Keriana Wilcox – Senior Planner , Natural Resources Policy, Gisborne District Council

2

Outline of Presentation

1. Pepeha2. I nga wa o nehera3. What is Maori Land4. Land Administration5. Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 19936. RMA 19917. TTWMA and RMA8. Planning example: Sustainable Hill Country

Project9. He Timatanga Hou

3

Ko Hikurangi te maungaKo Waiapu te awaKo Te Whanau a Ruataupare te hapuKo Ngati Porou te Iwi

4

5

I nga wa o nehera

6

I nga wa o nehera

• Traditional Maori society dependant on land and resources for survival

• Lived on land and managed it according to local kawa and tikanga

•Whanau/hapu resource

7

I nga wa o nehera (2)

•Named referring to Tipuna and

places from Hawaiki

•Helped denote historical tribal

boundaries (pepeha)

• Established mana whenua

8

What is Maori land

9

What is Maori land

•Refers to a particular status of land (Tenure and legislation)

•Has not been alienated from Maori Ownership

• Controlled via Te Ture Whenua Maori Act under jurisdiction of the Maori Land Court

10

What is Maori land (2)

• Largely uneconomical land with large remnants of indigenous vegetation

• Inaccessible in many cases

•Maori land makes up 6% of land total in NZ

•Gisborne 26% approx

11

Land administration

• Largely managed by inc, trusts

established through the Maori

Land Court

•Has a large number of blocks with

multiple owners

• Absentee Owners

12

Land administration (2)

•Often not well resourced if no

administration present

• If no administration present uses

the Office of the Maori Trustee to

help manage land

13

Te ture

14

Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993

• Facilitates and promotes the

retention, use, development and

control of Maori land as taonga

tuku iho by Maori owners, their

whanau, their hapu, and their

descendants."

15

RMA 1991 – How is Maori land reflected

• “Promote the sustainable

management of natural and

physical resources”

•6(e) and 7(a) most important

•RMA plans reflect this

environmental ethic

16

Sustainable Hill Country Project

17

1. Target unsustainable landuse

18

2. Identify worst eroding land

19

3. Develop rule to target eroding land

20

4. Establish effective tree cover

21

Planning process

• Pre-notification stakeholder

consultation 2001 - 2005

• Extended submission and furthers

process

• Received 96 submissions, 13 furthers

• 15 Spoke at hearing (3 Maori trusts)

• No appeals!

22

Issues

• Project affected a high % of Maori land

• Landowners not sure who and how

• Limited information on contacts and

details

• Issues interpreting Maori concepts

• $$$ to achieve “sustainable

management”

23

Issues (2)

• Limited recognition given to

management of land blocks under

kaupapa Maori

• Limited cultural impact assessment

• Information not widely understood and

lengthy

• Lease agreements

24

Issues (3)

•Outcome did not reflect the

process, consultation etc…

25

He Timatanga hou

26

He timatanga hou

•Relationship management

important

• Sort out your consultation process

early

•Use available resources to get

contact details

27

He timatanga hou

•Understand the nature of Maori land and relationship of beneficial owners

• Provide for 6(e) and 7(a) matters in a practical way

•Use easily understood material –Summary documents if practical

28

He timatanga hou

•Use appropriate people to help

•Use the media effectively

•Help source funding to help Iwi be involved

• Encourage information sharing opportunities

•Use Iwi management plans

29

He timatanga hou

•Use/form Iwi consultation group

•Hearing commissioners

• Cultural impact reports

•Korero, korero, korero

30

31

32