Iwi questions FOMA on Maori land

“The Federation of Maori Authorities will only help little underperforming Maori land blocks if there is money in it for them."

This is the criticism from Willie Te Aho of the Iwi Leaders Group after announcements by the Minister of Maori Development yesterday appointing a new Ture Whenua Maori Ministerial Advisory Board to lead Maori land law reforms.

Traci Houpapa, the FOMA chair, is a member of the new board as are two other FOMA members on the seven-member board.

Mr Te Aho is concerned that FOMA has been given too much influence.

"Ms Houpapa told iwi chairs that FOMA's mandate is based on a survey of their members. But to date we haven't seen that survey or a list of who those members are, so I question whether FOMA is genuine about working with iwi."

Mr Te Aho said the majority of the $1 billion plus entities that Ms Houpapa said responded to the FOMA Maori land survey, are not the target of the Maori land reforms.

“The iwi focus is on fulfilling what people like the late Dr Apirana Mahuika said last year at 20 consultation hui: 'The land is mine. I have the say. The land is mine. I make the decisions.'"

Big FOMA members like Mangatu Incorporation of the Gisborne region, worth over $500 million, are fine and the changes in the Maori land laws will not really affect them.

"It is the little blocks, with no governance and underutilised land that are the focus for iwi.

"These little blocks don’t want to be subsumed by FOMA members. I know this, I have seen it firsthand. But this is clearly how FOMA are positioning themselves."

Te Aho said that iwi members like himself are firstly Maori land owners.

"Iwi organisations are better placed to work with Maori land owners given the iwi settlements, iwi training and iwi whanau ora programmes which focus on the people.

"Ultimately, this is more about the development of the people than the development of Maori land."

Mr Te Aho said that he will be seeking official information from government agencies that have funded FOMA so people can transparently see what funding it seeks and who it benefits.

"I know already that the funding that FOMA seeks is about the good getting better. I support that. But they are now trying to position themselves to help little blocks – something they’ve never done in the past as their record will show."

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