Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has responded to the decision of the Waitangi Tribunal to grant the request for an urgency hearing regarding Te Ture Whenua Māori reform.

“I acknowledge the decision of the Waitangi Tribunal.  Te Ture Whenua Māori remains the most significant reform of Māori land in this generation.  I am serious about helping tāngata whenua to better utilise their land and it’s imperative the right measures are in place to make that happen”, he says.

Minister for Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell formally launched the Māori Housing Network at the opening of the Ranga-Bidois whānau papakāinga in Ngāruawahia today.

The Māori Housing Network has been set up under Te Puni Kōkiri to support Māori-led housing initiatives and develop greater Māori capability in the sector.

“Te Puni Kōkiri essentially becomes a one-stop shop to work alongisde whānau and lets them know what funding is available, while also offering expert advice, information and support to help improve their housing situation”, says Mr Flavell.

A housing project by a Ngāruawahia whānau is an outstanding example of a Māori-led housing initiative Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell said today.

The Minister was speaking at the official opening of a development on the Ranga-Bidois whānau papakāinga which has seen three new homes built to provide much needed homes for the wider whānau.

The Ranga-Bidois whānau developed a plan with Whānau Ora support, and successfully applied for funding from Te Puni Kōkiri to help develop the project.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, is challenging Māori speakers to use te reo everywhere.

Mr Flavell laid down the wero (challenge) today at the pōwhiri of the National speech competition, Ngā Manu Kōrero, which is being held in Porirua this week.

Ngā Manu Kōrero is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

“I want to wish all of the 60 or so competing students the best of luck in the secondary school competition”, says Mr Flavell.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, says officials and the Ture Whenua Advisory Group are progressing well with fine-tuning the draft of the Ture Whenua Māori Bill.

“This reform is the most significant review since Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 so it’s critical that we get it right.

“Consultation on this complex law started in 2013 and we received almost 400 written submissions from stakeholders and Māori land owners following the release of an exposure draft of the Bill earlier this year”, he says.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, says changes to the Māori Purposes Bill, “will empower a multi-million dollar trust to manage its own affairs without Crown involvement and will enable the successful Māori enterprise to operate more effectively in a commercial environment.”

The Māori Purposes Bill had its first reading in Parliament today, amending the Māori Purposes Act 1991 to improve the governance arrangements of the Wi Pere Trust base on the East Coast.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, has announced the appointments of three new members to the Waitangi Tribunal.

Dr Hauata Palmer, Derek Lardelli and Bill Wilson QC will join the Tribunal along with 13 other members who have also been reappointed.

“I am confident the new members will work well with the reappointed members as they continue their work across the motu and will give continuity to the high calibre work of the Tribunal.”

An analysis of research and monitoring results from the first four years of Whanau Ora (2010-2014) indicates positive gains for whānau when their needs are placed at the centre of service delivery.

The results are captured in a report, ‘Understanding whānau-centred approaches’, to be released next week.

The report shows that placing the needs of families at the centre of service delivery is successful in achieving both immediate and long-term change for whānau. This includes whānau previously considered to be hard to reach.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell will open six new flats at Tahuwhakatiki Marae, in Mount Maunganui today.

Mr Flavell is full of praise for the Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore iwi and the Pirihima Whānau Trust.

“This papapkāinga project is visionary. The tribe is building a living community around the marae and it has made an economic, social and cultural investment in its future,” he says.

Māori Development Māori Te Ururoa Flavell announced today that he will direct a ministerial investigation into the affairs of Aupōuri Māori Trust Board, under section 33 of the Māori Trust Boards Act 1955.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, welcomes a new initiative to encourage more Māori into the Information Technology sector today.

The scholarship funds students through a 19-week course teaching them what it takes to succeed in the IT industry, and connecting them with prospective employers.

It is a joint initiative between Te Puni Kōkiri, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Callaghan Innovation in partnership with the Wellington training organisation, Enspiral Dev Academy.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell congratulates Hineuru and Ngāruahine for persevering with their historic Treaty of Waitangi settlements which both had their first reading in Parliament today.

“Ngāruahine has been deeply scarred by the land confiscations in Taranaki and the imprisonment of many of their men in the South Island. Ngāti Hineuru were left virtually landless following dodgy Crown land purchases and massacres in their region,” says Mr Flavell.

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, welcomes the release of a report on the Māori economy in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The Independent Māori Statutory Board commissioned a report called, The Auckland Māori Economy: Size, Issues and Opportunities, which was released today.

The Māori Development Minister, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, intends to allow for more time to develop the Ture Whenua Māori Bill within an expanded work programme, which is aimed at fully realising the utilisation of Māori land.

Mr Flavell is determined to ensure the legislation and any associated proposals are right, and aims to have the Bill before the House early next year.

“My aim is to ensure the reforms make it easier for Māori landowners to use their land, while at the same time ensuring the retention of the whenua, he says.

The Manawatū-Whanganui region has significant potential for growth, and this includes making greater use of Māori land, a new report on the region has found.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says the Manawatū-Whanganui Growth Study: Opportunities Report, published today, highlights a range of opportunities that can directly benefit Māori and the region.

The Māori Development Minister, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, has announced the appointment of Judge Miharo Armstrong of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui to the Māori Land Court.

Judge Armstrong was temporarily appointed last year, upon the retirement of Judge Andrew Spencer from the Court, to assist with the workload of the Māori Land Court and the Waitangi Tribunal.

The initialling of the deed of settlement for Taranaki Iwi yesterday heralds an important milestone in the reconciliation journey between the tribe and the Crown.

The redress for the raupatu treaty claim includes an agreed historical account of the land confiscations, Crown acknowledgement and apology, $70-milion of financial redress and the return of 29 sites of cultural significance.

While the consultation hui on the exposure draft of the Ture Whenua Māori Bill have now been completed, there is still a month to go before submissions close on 7 August.

“I’d like to thank those people who were able to attend the hui. This landmark legislation will have a significant impact on all Māori land owners so I encourage tāngata whenua to make a submission,” says Māori Development Minister Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.

The Māori Development Minister is pleased to announce that Dr Wayne Ngata has been appointed as the new Toihau of the Māori Language Commission.

“Dr Ngata (Te Āitanga ā Hauiti, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Porou) has served as a Commissioner in the past alongside the previous Chair Erima Henare who passed away suddenly almost two months ago.

“I am pleased that he will build on Erima’s legacy and bring his extensive knowledge of te reo Māori and the education sector to this important role,” says Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.

The Māori Development Minister questions the integrity of Labour’s Broadcasting Spokesperson Clare Curran who has attempted to stitch together a “scandal”.

“Ms Curran originally claimed I attempted to tamper with the content of a Native Affairs programme but after failing to gain traction on this accusation she released some emails between my media secretary and an MTS staff member to bring my office in disrepute”, says Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.