Seminar on Maori land and planning law

Tu Tangata, Issue 9, 1 December 1982, Page 26

Seminar on Maori land and planning law

Who should help owners of Maori land who have difficulties with new and complex planning laws? This question was one of the important issues discussed at a seminar sponsored by the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board and the Department of Maori Affairs at Tapeka Marae, Waihi Village, on 8-9 October last. George Asher, after presenting his paper: ‘‘Planning for Maori Land and its Traditional Uses”, said: ‘‘We can’t look at any one body, we have to look at all those agencies and organisations and point out where the responsibilities lie.” He queried whether the Department of Maori Affairs had any firm policy to assist long-term in planning matters, but added: ‘‘The responsible agency for town and

country planning matters is the Ministry of Works so somewhere along the line there has to be a tie-up (with that Ministry).” Over 100 people (many of them County Planners and Councillors) attended the hui which sought to bring about an exchange of views and ideas, on a marae, between Maori land owners and local body planners and councillors. Other speakers who presented papers were Peter Crawford (Taupo County Planner, speaking on Marae, Papakainga and Kainga in Town and Country Planning); John Asher, (Tuwharetoa Trust Board, ‘‘Maori Land Use Within the Planning System”); Judge Russell (‘‘Subdivision and Partition of Maori Land”); and Dr Kenneth Palmer (‘‘Acquisition of Maori land for Public Works”).