Nelson Tenths Bill Marks Final Steps in Historic Land Resolution for Te Tauihu Māori

A historic process to return ancestral lands to Māori in the top of the South Island is reaching its final stages as the Nelson Tenths Bill progresses through Parliament. On 3 July 2026, details emerged regarding the transfer of more than 250 specific titles of land from the Crown to Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust, an entity representing the descendants of the customary landowners. The bill follows a landmark 2017 Supreme Court ruling which found the government had a duty to honour a land deal dating back to the 1830s. At that time, Māori were promised one-tenth of 151,100 acres sold to the New Zealand Company, but received less than 3,000 acres. The current legislation seeks to rectify this by returning more than 3,000 hectares of land, including coastal sections of the Abel Tasman National Park and the Tōtaranui campsite. Te Here-ā-Nuku trustee Kerensa Johnston told RNZ that the trust has spent six months working with the Crown on the draft legislation. She noted that the bill represents the final step in a dispute that has been in the courts for 17 years. Johnston described the progress as a milestone, indicating it feels positive to be nearing the end of the long-running litigation. The trust maintains that it will act as kaitiaki of the land, with a duty to protect and steward the area for future generations. Under the current bill, the trust would grant the Department of Conservation (DOC) a 25-year licence to manage the returned sections as part of the national park. While Nelson Mayor Nick Smith has raised concerns regarding the speed of the bill and the future status of the park, the trust continues to work toward a balance that acknowledges both the park’s public value and the legal rights of the customary landowners.