Responsible trustees

A responsible trustee has ultimate responsibility for how a trust is run and  for making decisions about the trust’s assets.  They must administer the trust for the benefit of the trust’s beneficiaries (e.g. the land owners) and in accordance with the trust order.
 
Every trust must have at least one responsible trustee.  

The responsible trustee must for example, make sure rates and tax are paid, financial accounts are prepared etc, and also that any decisions made are in the interests of all beneficiaries and will protect and grow the assets of the trust.

For an Ahu Whenua trust, the land is vested in the responsible trustee through a vesting order issued by the Māori Land Court.  This means that legal ownership or title to the land passes to the responsible trustee(s) who must then manage the land in accordance with the trust order and any relevant laws.

Responsible trustees can ask owners to appoint advisory trustees to assist them, or can appoint custodian trustees or agents to help them carry out their tasks.