Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill
This bill transfers ownership of roughly 3,250 hectares of Crown land in the Nelson, Tasman Bay, and Golden Bay areas to a trust called Te Here ā Nuku Trust. The land was found by the courts to have been held by the Crown on trust since 1845 for the descendants of the original Māori owners, after the Crown failed to properly set aside and reserve land promised to those owners in the 1840s. The bill makes the transfer of legal ownership official and sets out how some of the land — including parts of Abel Tasman National Park — will continue to be managed.
What this affects
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The bill formally recognises that the Crown has held this land on trust for Māori descendants since 1845 and transfers legal ownership to their trust.
the primary purpose of the Bill is to provide for the transfer of legal title in the relevant lands from the Crown (as former trustee) to the new trustees as appointed by the Court (the trustees of Te Here ā Nuku Trust)
The Crown is discharged and released from all obligations and liabilities in respect of the Stafford claims
The beneficial interests and ownership in the land remain with the beneficiaries of the trust, as found by the Court and recognised by the Crown through the Resolution Agreement
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Finance and Expenditure Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 5 July 2026.
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.