Consultation on proposed changes to MÄÂori Trust Office

Tīmatanga kōrerorero mō ngā whakarerekētanga e whakaaro ana mō te Tari Kaitiaki Māori .

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The Government is set to undertake consultation with Māori on proposals to change the Māori Trustee and Māori Trust Office, says Māori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia.

"The proposed changes have come out of a review of the Māori Trustee and are intended to help the Trustee to meet future challenges and to deliver services to Māori', the Minister said.

The proposals would set up the Māori Trustee as a stand-alone organisation, separate from Te Puni Kōkiri. They would involve a funding agreement between the Māori Trustee and the Crown and introduce new public funding reporting requirements.

The Māori Trustee is currently an appointment conferred on a senior Te Puni Kōkiri staff member and staff of the Māori Trust Office are Te Puni Kōkiri employees. It is proposed to transfer all present Māori Trust Office staff to the new stand-alone organisation.

Under the proposals a requirement that the Māori Trustee review and adjust the interest rates paid on funds held in trust in the Common Fund would be introduced, to take into account appropriate market interest rates.

The Māori Trustee has a range of statutory duties to do with administering Māori land and assets on behalf of owners who are not known or who haven't succeeded to their interests. The Trustee also administers land or assets where the owners have asked the Trustee to do so.

The Trustee also manages funds held in trust for owners, and administers a number of reserves created in the 19th century.

Eleven hui will be held around the country over the next few weeks in areas where the Māori Trustee has offices and administers land and assets. The proposals will require legislative changes, expected to be in place by July 2008.
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Kua reri te kāwanatanga ki te whakahaere kōrerorero ki te Māori mō ngā whakaritenga ki te whakarerekē I te Kaitiaki Māori, me te Tari Kaitiaki Māori, e kī ana te Minita Take Māori, a Parekura Horomia.

" I puta mai ngā whakaaro whakarerekē I tētahi arotake i te Kaitiaki Māori, me te hiahia ki te awhina I te Kaitiaki ki te whakatutuki I ngā wero kei mua, me te kawe ratonga atu ki te Māori," e kī ana te Minita.

Ka whai ēnei whakaritenga ki te whakatū I te Kaitiaki Māori, hei rōpū tū wehe ake ki Te Puni Kōkiri. Ka hangaia he kirimini whakapūtea I waenga I te Kaitiaki Māori me te Karauna, ka whakamōhiotia ētahi herenga hou hei whakapūrongo pūtea tūmatanui.

I tēnei wā he whakatūtanga te Kaitiaki Māori, i tētahi kaimahi mātāmua o Te Puni Kōkiri, me ngā kaimahi a te Kaitiaki Māori he kaimahi anō a Te Puni Kōkiri. E whakaaro ana ki te whakawhiti atu ngā kaimahi a te Tari Kaitiaki Māori ki te rōpū tū wehe hou.

Kei raro anō I te whakaritenga tētahi here ki runga I te Kaitiaki Māori ki te arotake, me te whakatika I ngā auau itareti e utua ana mō ngā pūtea e pupuri kaitiaki ana I roto I te Pūtea Pātahi, ka whakamōhiotia, me te whakauru atu I ngā auau itareti tōtika mō ēnei wā.

Ko ngā mahinga a te Kaitiaki Māori he mahinga whānui I raro i te ture, ki te whakahaere I ngā whenua me ngā rawa Māori mō ngā kaipupuri kāhore I te mōhiotia, kahore anō rānei kia kairīwhi ki a rātou pānga whenua. Kei te whakahaere anō te Kaitiaki Māori I ngā whenua me ngā rawa o ngā kaipupuri kua tono atu ki te kaitiaki ki te whakahaere.

Kai te whakahaere te Kaitaiki I ngā mōni e pupuri tiaki ana mō ngā kaipupuri whenua, me ētahi whenua rāhui I hangaia I te rautau 19.

Te kau mā tahi ngā hui ka tū ki te motu, I waenga I ngā wiki ruarua kei mua, ki ngā wāhi kei reira ngā tari a te Kaitiaki e whakahaere ana I ngā whenua me ngā rawa. I raro anō I ngā whakaritenga ka whakaturetia ngā rerekētanga, me te wawata ka tutuki tēnei I mua o te marama o Hūrae 2008.