Trust administration
Most land blocks administered by Māori Trustee are held in Ahu Whenua trusts. This is a type of trust specifically set up under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act to make the administration of multiply owned Māori land easier.
The Act defines Māori land as “taonga tuku iho” – a treasure to be passed down - and aims to ensure that Māori land stays with the people who whakapapa to it and can be used for the owners’ benefit.
There are rules around how trusts must be run, set by both law and by the trust order for the particular trust itself. These rules cover everything from financial accounts to holding owners’ meetings and allocating money for scholarships.
Our regional teams can help owners set up an Ahu Whenua trust and make sure all the legal obligations of the trust order, acts and regulations are met so that the trust and the land cannot come under threat.
Our teams also make sure that trustee services are delivered in line with tikanga and acknowledge the owners as the kaitiaki of the whenua.
Specific services that we provide for trusts include:
- Holding meetings of owners
- Reporting to owners
- Paying expenses such as rates or farm manager salaries
- Preparing annual accounts
- Paying tax
- Arranging distribution of income to owners
- Managing the administration of grants such as scholarships and kaumatua grants from the income
- Representing owners at the Māori Land Court
- Holding and investing funds on behalf of trusts, agencies, owners and other clients in the Māori Trustee’s Common Fund.
See more about what trustees do in the Trustees section.
