Māori Purposes Bill
This bill makes a bundle of small, technical changes to many existing laws about Māori affairs. It lets organisations like Māori Associations, Trust Boards, and the Māori Land Court hold meetings online instead of only in person. It allows two co-chairpersons instead of just one in many of these groups. It also tidies up old-fashioned language, fixes outdated references, and repeals three old laws that no longer do anything. These changes are meant to make it easier for Māori organisations to run their day-to-day business.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it, and the parts of the text that show it.
The bill updates many laws that govern how Māori organisations operate, making it easier for them to hold meetings online and share leadership between two co-chairpersons.
a meeting of a Maori Association may be held… by means of audio, audio and visual, or electronic communication
at its first meeting, each Maori Association must elect one of its members to be chairperson or 2 of its members to be co-chairpersons
The amendments in this Bill seek to make legislation more efficient and fit for purpose, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on Māori entities, and enable increased autonomy
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Maori Affairs Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 26 March 2025.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.