How to set up a whenua Māori trust or incorporation

Created: March 26, 2024 at 7:10 PM | Updated: February 4, 2025 | By NZ Navigator Trust

Find out what steps are involved in setting up a whenua Māori trust or incorporation.

• Deciding who should govern - Find out what you need to think about when nominating trustees for an ahu whenua trust or other type of governance structure.
• What to include in your trust order - Find out what to include when you're defining the terms of your trust order - the document that sets out the rules that govern your trust.
• Steps to set up a Māori land trust - To put Māori land into a trust, you'll need to get agreement from the other owners and apply to the Māori land court.
• Establishing the trust's culture - The trust's culture is essentially the guidelines for how everyone- trustees and owners alike - will behave and treat each other.

Find more detailed information here, including developing a strategy, developing a business plan, your trust's responsibilities, and running an effective trust.