Changes In Maori Land Law Urged

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 5

Changes In Maori Land Law Urged

“The Prichard report on Maori land and the Maori Land Court offers improvements to the many existing Maori land laws and practices which are not suited to these modern times,” said the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Hanan) yesterday when releasing the report of the committee that inquired into laws affecting Maori land and the powers of the Maori Land Court.

The members of the Committee of Inquiry were Mr Ivor Prichard, formerly Chief Judge of the Maori Land Court, as chairman, and Mr Hemi Tono Waetford, a special titles officer of the Department of Maori Affairs at Whangarei, as member. Mr Prichard was well known, said Mr Hanan, as a man who for many years had produced results which were both practicable and workable. Mr Waetford was experienced in schemes for the better use of Maori land and closely in touch with Maori thought. The committee held meetings from Te Kao in the far north to Invercargill to explain the problems and to obtain opinions. The general opinion expressed was: “We are not as we were 100 years ago. There must, be changes

now and further changes soon.”

The report, said the Minister, was a model of clarity and common sense. It contained many far-reach-ing recommendations which would be considered as soon as possible. The Minister said the committee had said that results of implementing the report would, in the next 10 years, be:

Maori land would be in blocks of a size suitable for economic development; Past fragmentation of the land would have been dealt with; No further fragmentation of Maori land would be allowed; and Maori land would contribute to primary exports considerably more than it did today.