Making submissions to Parliament
Te Puni Kōkiri is responsible for changes to legislation within the Māori Affairs portfolio as well as changes to legislation that relates to Māori affairs.
This page is continually updated to report on the current status of Bills for which we are responsible. Last updated: 26 May 2008.
The Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill was passed on 14 May 2008 and became the Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Act 2008. This Act provides for the transfer of the fee simple estate of the Mauao historic reserve (Mt Maunganui) from the Crown to Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga (Tauranga Moana Iwi). The fee simple estate will be held in trust by the trustees of the Mauao Trust, on behalf of Tauranga Moana Iwi. The Bill also recognises Waitaha’s relationship with Mauao. This Bill gives effect to the Agreement to Introduce Vesting Legislation in Relation to Mauao, signed by the Crown and iwi in August 2007.
View archive material on the Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill.
View the full text of the Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Act 2008 online.
The Māori Purposes Bill (No 2) was divided into four Amendment Bills, which were passed on 15 May 2008 and become the following Acts:
The Maniapoto Māori Trust Board Amendment Act 2008 provides for a seventh regional management committee, an extra seat on the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, a name change for the Maniapoto council of elders and updates the Māori Trust Boards Regulations 1985.
View archive material on these amendments.
View the full text of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board Amendment Act 2008 online
The Māori Trust Boards Amendment Act 2008 provides that an adult beneficiary is a person who is 18 years or over, validates underage voting where it has occurred in the past and updates the annual payment to be paid by the Crown to the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board under a new agreement relating to Lake Taupō.
View archive material on these amendments .
View the fulltext of the Māori Trust Boards Amendment Act 2008 online.
The Treaty of Waitangi Amendment Act 2008 increases the statutory cap on the membership of the Waitangi Tribunal from 16 to 20, restructures section 6 and adds a new Schedule to the principal Act.
View the fulltext of the Treaty of Waitangi Amendment Act 2008 online.
Te Ture Whenua Māori Amendment Act 2008 corrects two minor drafting errors in the principal Act.
View archive material on these amendments. View the full text of Te Ture Whenua Māori Amendment Act 2008 online.
There are currently two Bills before Parliament that sit within the Māori Affairs portfolio:
The public submission period for both Bills has now closed. The Māori Affairs Committee is currently considering submissions and is scheduled to report back the Waka Umanga (Māori Corporations) Bill to the House by 10 July 2008.
The Māori Trustee and Māori Development Amendment Bill introduces changes arising out of the review of the Māori Trustee. The Bill sets up the Māori Trustee as a stand-alone organisation included on the 4th schedule of the Public Finance Act 1989. The Māori Trustee will be required to pay interest received on funds held in trust in the Common Fund, less a management fee and taking appropriate market rates into account.
The Bill also sets up a new independent statutory corporation with the working title Māori Business Aotearoa New Zealand (MBANZ) to further Māori economic development by utilising resources available to Māori. The Government will be considering a significant contribution as part of the Budget process and other organisations will also be able to contribute to the fund. A contribution to the MBANZ fund of $35 million will be transferred from the Māori Trustee’s General Purposes Fund (which can already be used for some development activities). No funds held in trust by the Māori Trustee, unclaimed money or other funds owned by beneficial owners will be transferred.
The title of the Māori Trustee Act 1953 will be changed to the Maori Trustee and Development Act 1953 to better reflect the proposed changes.
See further information on the Māori Trustee and Māori Development Amendment Bill.
View the fulltext of the Māori Trustee and Māori Development Amendment Bill online.
The Waka Umanga (Māori Corporations) Bill provides for the establishment of new legal entities to meet the organisational needs of tribal groups and other Māori associations that manage communal assets. The purpose of the Bill is to:
See further information on the Waka Umanga (Māori Corporations) Bill.
View the fulltext of the Waka Umanga (Māori Corporations) Bill online.
For further information on any of the Bills or to make an enquiry, please email tpkbills@tpk.govt.nz.
Last modified: 12/06/2008