The trustees appointed under section 62 of the Maori Purposes Act 1950 and in office at the commencement of this Act are hereby constituted a Maori Trust Board to be known as the Aorangi Maori Trust Board.

All the real and personal property held by the trustees upon trusts declared pursuant to the said section 62, of whatsoever nature and wheresoever situate, shall, on the commencement of this Act, without the necessity of any instrument of transfer or other assurance, be transferred to and vest in the Board, which shall administer all such property in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

The beneficiaries of the Board are hereby declared to be the persons determined by the Maori Land Court by an order dated 21 August 1925 to be entitled to the money referred to in subsection (4) of the said section 62 and the descendants of those persons.

Every trustee appointed as aforesaid in office at the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been appointed as a member of the Board for a term expiring on 31 July 1956.

The body corporate constituted pursuant to section 28 of the Maori Purposes Act 1953, under the name of the Taitokerau Maori Trust Board, shall continue to exist under that name.

The beneficiaries of the Board are hereby declared to be the members of the Ngatiwhatua, Ngapuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngatikahu, and Te Aupouri tribes of North Auckland, and their descendants.

The body corporate constituted as a Board of Management under section 49 of the Maori Purposes Act 1931 under the name of the Taranaki Maori Trust Board shall continue to exist under that name and shall be a Maori Trust Board.

The beneficiaries of the Board are hereby declared to be members of the Atiawa, Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Maru, Ngati Ruanui, Ngaruahine, Taranaki, and Ngarauru tribes, and their descendants.

The body corporate constituted by section 16 of the Maori Land Amendment and Maori Land Claims Adjustment Act 1926 under the name of the Tuwharetoa Trust Board and continued in existence by section 55 of the Maori Purposes Act 1931 shall continue to exist and shall henceforth be known as the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board (the Board).

Without further appropriation than this section, the sum of $1,500,000, or a greater or lesser sum that is agreed between the Crown and the Board, in accordance with the deed defined in subsection (3), must be paid out of public money to the Board on 1 July in each year.

In subsection (2), deed means the deed entered into on 10 September 2007 by Her Majesty the Queen in right of New Zealand acting by and through the Minister of Conservation (the Crown) and the Board established under subsection (1).

The beneficiaries of the Board are hereby declared to be the members of the Tuwharetoa tribe and their descendants.

The body corporate constituted pursuant to section 29 of the Maori Purposes Act 1949, under the name of the Wairoa-Waikaremoana Maori Trust Board, shall continue to exist under that name.

The beneficiaries of the Board are hereby declared to be the members of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe residing in the Borough of Wairoa or the County of Wairoa together with the persons (wherever resident) whose names are comprised in the Ngati Kahungunu portion of the list of owners of Lake Waikaremoana, as certified by the Registrar of the Maori Land Court pursuant to subsection (3) of section 9 of the Lake Waikaremoana Act 1971, and the descendants (wherever resident) of those persons.

The sum of 20,000 pounds of the Board’s funds shall be invested by the Board in any manner authorised by or under the Trustee Act 1908 or any other Act for the investment of trust funds.

Any investment made pursuant to subsection (3) may, with the approval of the Minister, be converted into money for expenditure by the Board on purposes approved by him.

Each Board shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and shall be capable of holding real and personal property, and of suing and being sued, and of doing and suffering all such other acts and things as bodies corporate may lawfully do and suffer.

Each Board shall consist of such number of members as may be prescribed by regulations under this Act.

The members of each Board shall, from time to time, be appointed by the Governor-General who, subject to the provisions of this Act, shall appoint those members elected by the beneficiaries of the Board in accordance with this Act.

No person shall be appointed as a member of a Board who is—

No person shall be capable of being elected or appointed to be, or of being, a member of a Board unless he is, in relation to that Board, a beneficiary.

Where the members of a Board are to be elected or appointed to represent different sections or divisions of the beneficiaries, no beneficiary shall be capable of being elected or appointed to be, or of being, a member representing a particular section or division unless he himself belongs to that section or division.

Where a person is qualified to belong to more than 1 section or division of the beneficiaries, he shall not be capable of being elected or appointed to be, or of being, a member representing a section or division other than the one in which he elects to be enrolled in accordance with section 42(6).

The members of each Board in office at the commencement of this Act shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, continue in office for the residue of the term for which they were appointed.

Except as otherwise provided by this or any other Act, every member of a Board shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, and any member may from time to time be reappointed.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Act, every member of a Board, unless he sooner vacates his office, shall continue to hold office until his successor comes into office.

Any member of a Board may at any time be removed from office by the Governor-General for inefficiency, inability to perform the functions of the office, bankruptcy, neglect of duty, or misconduct proved to the satisfaction of the Governor-General, or if the member is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment, or may at any time resign his office by writing addressed to the Board.

If a Board receives the resignation in writing of a member, it must notify the Minister as soon as practicable after receipt of the resignation.

If any member dies, or resigns, or is removed from office, his office shall become vacant, and the vacancy shall be deemed to be an extraordinary vacancy.

In the case of an extraordinary vacancy the Governor-General may appoint some qualified person to be a member of the Board for the residue of the term for which the vacating member was appointed:

The powers of a Board shall not be affected by any vacancy in the membership thereof.

At the first meeting of each Board following the triennial appointment of its members or following the vacation of office by the Chairman, the Board shall appoint from among its members a Chairman, and may, if it thinks fit, appoint from among its members a Deputy Chairman.

Any person appointed as the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of a Board shall hold office, while he continues to be a member of the Board, until the appointment of his successor in accordance with this section, and may be reappointed.

The Deputy Chairman may act for and shall have all the powers of the Chairman during such time as the Chairman, in the opinion of the Board, is incapacitated by illness, absence, or other sufficient cause from performing the duties of his office.

The first meeting of any Board constituted after the commencement of this Act shall be held on a day to be appointed in that behalf by the Minister.

Except as provided by subsection (1), meetings of each Board shall be held at such times and places as the Board from time to time appoints:

The Minister or the Chairman may at any time call a special meeting of a Board, and any 3 members of a Board may at any time by notice in writing request the Chairman to call a special meeting of the Board, and thereupon the Chairman shall call a special meeting of the Board, to be held no later than 1 month after the day he received the notice.

At all meetings of a Board a quorum shall consist of half of the number of members, or, where the number of members is not a multiple of 2, of half of the next highest number which is a multiple of 2.

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board at which he is present.

If within half an hour after the time for which any meeting of a Board has been appointed, whether by summons or by adjournment, a quorum is not present, the member or members present, or if no member is present, an officer of the Board, may adjourn the meeting to such time and place as is thought fit.

In the absence of the Chairman from any meeting of a Board the Deputy Chairman, if one has been appointed and if he is present, shall preside. In the absence from any meeting of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman the members present shall appoint one of their number to preside.

At any meeting of a Board the person presiding shall have a deliberative vote, and, in the case of an equality of votes, shall also have a casting vote.

All questions before a Board shall be decided by a majority of the valid votes recorded thereon.

Subject to the provisions of this Act and of any regulations thereunder, each Board may regulate its procedure in such manner as it thinks fit.

The proceedings and resolutions of each Board shall be recorded in a minute book to be kept for the purpose.

Each Board may from time to time, subject to the approval of the Minister, appoint a fit and proper person, who may be a member of the Board, to act as Secretary of the Board, and, with the like approval, may at any time remove the Secretary from office.

The Secretary shall have all such powers and duties as the Board from time to time determines, and shall at all times conform to the directions of the Board.

Each Board may, from time to time, appoint such other officers and workmen as it may think necessary or expedient, and may, from time to time, dismiss any such officers and workmen.

All employees of a Board shall be paid such salaries, wages, or allowances as the Board from time to time determines:

On the retirement from the service of any Board of any employee whose total length of service with the Board has been not less than 10 years, the Board may, with the prior approval of the Minister, pay to him, by way of gratuity, an amount not exceeding an amount equal to 6 months’ pay at the rate payable to him at the time of his retirement.

On the death of any such employee (whether before or after his retirement but before he has received a gratuity under subsection (1)) the Board may, with the prior approval of the Minister, pay to his dependants or any of them, by way of gratuity, an amount not exceeding an amount equal to 6 months’ pay at the rate payable to him at the time of his retirement or (if he died before retirement) at the time of his death.

Each Board may from time to time, by resolution, appoint a committee or committees, consisting of 2 or more persons, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of the Board, and, subject to the provisions of subsection (3), may by resolution delegate to any such committee any of the powers or duties of the Board, except the power of delegation conferred by this section and the powers conferred by section 19, section 26, or section 27.

Every resolution under subsection (1) delegating any powers or duties to a committee shall specify in full the powers or duties so delegated.

Any delegation under this section may be at any time revoked, in whole or in part, by the Board.

The Chairman of a committee may be appointed and removed by the Board:

The members of a committee may meet for the despatch of business and adjourn their meetings as they think fit.

Each committee shall fix a quorum, which shall be subject to the approval of the Board, and no business shall be transacted at any meeting of a committee unless a quorum is present.

All proceedings and resolutions of each committee shall be recorded in a minute book to be kept for the purpose, and, as soon as practicable after the conclusion of each meeting, a copy of the minutes of that meeting shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Board by which the committee was appointed.

All questions before a committee shall be decided by a majority of the votes recorded thereon.

At any meeting of a committee the person presiding shall have a deliberative vote and, in the case of an equality of votes, shall also have a casting vote.

Each committee shall be subject in all things to the control of the Board by which it was appointed, and shall carry out all directions of the Board given in relation to the committee or its affairs.

Each Board may from time to time, by resolution, appoint a council of elders to be known by such name as the Board may decide.

The principal function of the council of elders shall be to advise the Board on all matters involving tikanga, te reo, and kawa.

The council of elders shall comprise such of the kaumatua of the beneficiaries as the Board may decide to appoint from time to time after consulting the kaumatua.

Each Board may from time to time, by resolution, appoint a council of young people to be known by such name as the Board may decide.

The principal function of the council of young people shall be to advise the Board on the needs and interests of the young people among the beneficiaries.

The council of young people shall comprise such of the young people among the beneficiaries as the Board may decide to appoint from time to time after consulting the young people.

A Board must hold a hui for the beneficiaries of the Board no later than 6 months after the balance date of the prior accounting period.

The Board must do the following things at the hui:

To avoid doubt, this section and sections 23D and 31 to 32 do not limit the Maori Fisheries Act 2004 in relation to a Board that is a mandated iwi organisation under that Act.

A Board must give public notice of the following matters to its beneficiaries:

The notice must be given no later than 3 months before the date of the hui.

Section 46(2) applies to the notice.

The functions of each Board shall be to administer its assets in accordance with the provisions of this Act for the general benefit of its beneficiaries, and, for that purpose, a Board may, in its discretion, provide money for the benefit or advancement in life of any specific beneficiary, or of any class or classes of beneficiaries.

Without limiting the general provisions hereinbefore contained, it is hereby declared that each Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Act, apply money towards all or any of the following purposes:

Nothing in this section shall be deemed to preclude any Board from applying money for the general benefit of a group or class of persons, notwithstanding that the group or class of persons includes persons other than beneficiaries; but no grant or loan shall be made to any individual for his exclusive benefit unless he is a beneficiary.

Any Board may from time to time, in its discretion—

whether or not any such grants or payments are of a direct or indirect benefit to the beneficiaries of the Board, or any of them.

Any Board may from time to time, in its discretion, execute under its seal a declaration of trust declaring that it shall stand possessed of any of its property, whether real or personal, upon trust for charitable purposes.

Any income derived by the Board from any property to which the declaration relates shall be applied for such purposes referred to in section 24 or section 24A as may be specified in the declaration of trust; and, for the purposes of the Income Tax Act 2007, any such income shall be deemed to be income derived by trustees in trust for charitable purposes.

No declaration of trust under this section shall have any force or effect unless it has been approved by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

Notwithstanding anything in any other provision of this Act, a Board may accept and hold or otherwise deal with any property upon trust for the benefit of the Board’s beneficiaries or any of them or for the benefit of any group of persons which includes any such beneficiaries. Any property held by a Board pursuant to this section shall be dealt with in accordance with the terms of the trust and shall not constitute an asset of the Board for the general purposes of this Act.

A Board may enter into any contract with, or accept grants or loans from, any government department or other instrument of the Crown, or any other organisation or agency approved by the Minister, for the purpose of any scheme relating to—

In any case to which subsection (1) applies, the Board may do anything required of it by the terms of any contract or the conditions of any grant, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act.

A Board may accept appointment by the Maori Land Court under section 61(6)(c) of the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1967 to exercise all the powers of a committee of management of a Maori incorporation if the shareholders in the incorporation, or a majority of them, are beneficiaries of the Board.

A Board may contract to provide administrative, secretarial, accounting, or other services to any Maori incorporation, trust, or other body if the shareholders, beneficiaries, or members of the incorporation, trust, or other body, or a majority of them, are beneficiaries of the Board.

In any case where a Board grants a loan to any person, it shall take such security and fix such terms and conditions in respect of the loan, and for the repayment of the principal sum and for the payment of interest thereon, as the Board decides at the time of the granting of the loan.

Any Board may from time to time, in its discretion, invest any of its funds not required for other purposes in accordance with the Trusts Act 2019.

Each Board may acquire any land or any interest in land, whether by way of purchase, lease, or otherwise and may sell, lease, sublease, or otherwise dispose of any such land or interest.

Each Board may:

For the purpose of farming any land acquired under this section, each Board may, from time to time, purchase or otherwise acquire such stock, implements, and chattels as it deems necessary; and may sell or otherwise dispose of all or any stock, crops, produce, or chattels grown or held in the course of farming; and for the purpose of any such farming business may, from time to time, raise such money as it deems necessary on the security of any of its stock, crops, produce, or chattels.

A Board may appoint an agent to exercise on its behalf the powers conferred on it by paragraph (a) of subsection (2) to occupy and manage land for farming, reclamation, or other purposes, and the Board may authorise any such agent—

For any of the purposes of this Act, each Board may, from time to time,—

Subject to any express provisions in this or any other enactment, all money belonging to each Board shall, within 14 days of receipt, be paid into a bank account to be called “The [name of Board] Maori Trust Board Account”.

No money shall be withdrawn from a Maori Trust Board Account except with the authority of the Board and by cheque or other instrument signed by 2 members or by 1 member and the Secretary.

Each Board shall cause full and accurate accounts to be kept of all money received and paid by it.

Any member or any duly authorised officer of a Board, or any person duly authorised in that behalf by the Minister, or any beneficiary, may at all reasonable times inspect the books of the Board and take copies of or extracts from them free of charge.

After an accounting period ends, a Board must prepare an annual report on the Board’s affairs during the accounting period.

The annual report for an accounting period must be prepared at least 1 month before the day on which the hui to present the report is to be held under section 23C.

The annual report must include—

The financial statements must comply with generally accepted accounting practice.

The financial statements and the annual report must be dated and signed on behalf of the Board by 2 members and the Secretary of the Board.

In this section,—

Before the start of an accounting period, a Board must prepare a budget for the accounting period that states the Board’s expected income and expenditure for the period.

A Board must—

The auditor must be a qualified auditor within the meaning of section 35 of the Financial Reporting Act 2013.

See sections 37 to 39 of the Financial Reporting Act 2013 (which provide for the appointment of a partnership and access to information in relation to a Board).

A Board must provide copies of the following documents to the Minister for his or her information:

The copy of a document must be provided no later than 1 month after the document is prepared.

The Minister may at any time direct the investigation of the affairs of any Board by some person appointed by him in that behalf. Any investigation so directed may extend generally over the affairs of the Board or may be confined to a particular matter or transaction.

Pending the completion of any investigation under this section, the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, give notice to the Board of the suspension of payments of public money to the Board during such period as may be specified in the notice.

Any notice under subsection (2) may at any time be revoked by a subsequent notice.

Any notice under this section shall be served on the Secretary of the Board, and a copy of the notice shall be served on the Secretary to the Treasury.

While any notice under subsection (2) remains in force, no payment to the Board of public money authorised by this Act shall be made.

Where an investigation of the affairs of a Board has been directed by the Minister under this section, the Board, and its members, servants, officers, and agents, shall supply to the person appointed to conduct the investigation all such information as may be required by him for the purpose of the investigation, and shall make available for his inspection all accounts, books, and other documents and records of the Board.

The person conducting the investigation shall, on its completion, report to the Minister who may, as in his opinion the circumstances require, do all or any of the following things, that is to say:

If within 1 month after the receipt by the Board of a requisition in writing by the Minister under paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of subsection (7), the Board fails or neglects to comply with the requisition, or, having commenced any action required, at any time thereafter fails or neglects to complete the action to the satisfaction of the Minister, the Minister may, by writing under his hand, authorise some officer of the public service to take action in the name of the Board to fulfil the requisition.

Every act done pursuant to an authority given by the Minister under subsection (8) shall have the same force and effect as if it had been done by the Board concerned, and every instrument of alienation executed pursuant to any such authority shall have the same force and effect and may be registered in the same manner as if it had been lawfully executed by the Board.

Where during any investigation directed under subsection (1), a Board or any of its members, servants, officers, or agents fails or neglects to comply with the requirements of subsection (6), the Minister shall have and may exercise the powers conferred on him by subsections (7) and (8), notwithstanding that the investigation is not completed and that no report thereon has been delivered to the Minister.

The seal of each Board shall be such as is determined by the Board and approved by the Minister and shall be kept in the custody of the Chairman or of such officer of the Board as it may appoint for the purpose.

The seal of a Board shall not be affixed to any instrument except pursuant to a resolution of the Board and in the presence of the Secretary and 2 members; and those witnesses shall sign every instrument to which the seal of the Board is affixed in their presence.

No beneficiary shall acquire or be deemed ever to have acquired any interest, whether vested or contingent, or legal or equitable, in the assets of the Board of which he is a beneficiary.

Any contract which, if made between private persons, must be by deed shall, if made by a Board, be in writing under the seal of the Board.

Any contract which, if made between private persons, must be in writing signed by the parties to be charged therewith shall, if made by a Board, be in writing signed by 2 members and the Secretary of the Board on behalf of or by direction of the Board.

Any contract which, if made between private persons, may be made orally may be similarly made by or on behalf of a Board by any member or the Secretary, acting by direction of the Board, but no oral contract shall be made for any sum exceeding 10 pounds.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing provisions of this section, no contract made by or on behalf of a Board shall be invalid by reason only that it was not made in manner provided by this section, if it was made pursuant to a resolution of the Board.

No member of a Board shall be personally liable for any act or default done or made by the Board or by any member thereof in good faith in the course of the operations of the Board.

Notwithstanding any rule of law or equity to the contrary, no member of a Board shall be debarred by virtue of his membership from receiving any benefit from the Board’s funds:

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Maori Affairs Act 1953, no mortgage or charge of Maori land in favour of a Board shall require confirmation under Part 19 of that Act.

Nothing in the Maori Affairs Act 1953 shall prevent the alienation, assignment, mortgage, charge, or other disposition by a Maori in favour of a Board (whether by way of anticipation or otherwise) of any rent, purchase money, or compensation or other money which is, or may become, receivable in respect of any interest, legal or equitable, in any Maori reserve or other Maori land, or in respect of any alienation thereof.

The changing by this Act of the name of any body corporate shall not affect any rights or obligations of the body corporate or render defective any legal proceedings by or against the body corporate and any legal proceedings that might have been continued or commenced by or against it under its former name may be continued or commenced by or against it under its new name.

Where the property of any body corporate of which the name is changed by this Act consists of land or any interest in land, or of any mortgage or encumbrance of land, any security over stock or chattels, any lien, bond, stocks, shares, debentures, or any like security, it shall be the duty of every Registrar of Deeds, District Land Registrar, Registrar of the High Court, or other person charged with the duty of keeping any register, on the application of the body corporate concerned, and without the payment of any fee, to amend the appropriate register or registers so as to show the new name of the body corporate.

A Board may pay to its members remuneration for services provided as a member by way of—

No money paid to a Maori Trust Board from public money pursuant to any provision contained in Part 1, and no money so paid under the corresponding provisions of any Act repealed by this Act, shall, for the purposes of the Income Tax Act 2007, or the Social Security Act 2018, or any other enactment, be deemed to be income of that Board.

The provisions of subsection (1) shall apply to all money paid or payable to the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board pursuant to section 10.

Each Board shall cause to be prepared a roll containing the names and addresses of all adult beneficiaries of the Board, and shall, from time to time, make all such additions and corrections to the roll as may be necessary.

Where pursuant to this Act beneficiaries of a Board are divided into different sections or divisions for the purpose of elections, the roll shall also show the section or division to which each beneficiary belongs.

Where any Parliamentary roll of electors contains sufficient information to identify the beneficiaries of any Board that Board may, with the approval of the Minister, use for the purposes of its roll under this section the appropriate Parliamentary roll of electors for the last preceding general election.

Where beneficiaries of a Board are divided into different sections or divisions for the purposes of elections, the manner in which any such section or division is to be determined in cases where a Parliamentary roll is used shall be stated in all advertisements and notices relating to the elections issued by the Board.

Where the beneficiaries of any Board are divided into sections or divisions for the purposes of elections, no person shall, except so far as may be prescribed by regulations under this Act, be eligible to belong to more than 1 section or division.

Where a person is qualified to belong to more than 1 section or division, he shall, when applying for enrolment, elect the section or division in which he wishes to be enrolled.

It shall be the responsibility of each adult beneficiary to ensure that his name is included in the roll and to supply to the Board his full postal address for the time being.

The initial preparation of the roll of beneficiaries shall be carried out in each case in a manner approved by the Minister in that behalf.

Each Board shall have jurisdiction to determine whether any person applying for inclusion in its roll of beneficiaries is qualified for inclusion, and to determine (where applicable) the section or division of beneficiaries in which he is entitled to be included.

Not later than 4 months before the date on which the term of office of the members of a Board for the time being in office expires, the Secretary of the Board shall cause public notice to be given to beneficiaries of the Board of the fact that nominations are called for election to membership of the Board for the ensuing term, the method of lodging nominations, and the latest date, as fixed by section 47, by which nominations must be lodged with the Secretary of the Board.

Any such public notice shall be given in the following manner:

Any such public notice shall also invite applications from qualified persons for inclusion of their names in the roll of beneficiaries, and shall set out the date upon which the roll closes for the election, being the same date as that fixed as the latest date for the lodging of nominations under section 47.

The nomination of a candidate for election to membership of a Board shall be in writing signed by not less than 5 beneficiaries shown in the roll of beneficiaries as entitled to vote in respect of the election of that candidate.

The consent of each candidate to his nomination shall be endorsed on the nomination paper.

Nominations shall be lodged with the Secretary of the Board not later than 3 months before the day on which the term of office of the members for the time being in office expires.

A candidate may at any time, by notice to the Board, withdraw his nomination.

If on the closing of nominations for election to membership of a Board the number of persons nominated for election to represent any section or division of the beneficiaries exceeds the number of appointments to be made in respect of that section or division, or, in the case of a Board of which the members represent the beneficiaries as a whole, the number of persons nominated exceeds the number of appointments to be made, an election or elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of this Part, or of any regulations made in that behalf, as the case may be.

In any case where the number of nominations received is not such as to render an election or elections necessary under subsection (1), the persons nominated for election shall be deemed to have been duly elected as members of the Board in accordance with their nominations.

The Secretary of each Board shall, not later than 20 days before the date of the expiry of the term of office of the members for the time being in office, forward to the chief executive of the Ministry of Maori Development the names of the persons elected as members of the Board and, where necessary, the section or division of the beneficiaries which each such person is elected to represent.

Where an election under this Part is held, the person or persons who have received the highest number of valid votes (not exceeding in number the number of members to be elected) shall, for the purposes of subsection (1), be deemed to be the person or persons elected.

If, on receiving under subsection (1) the names of the persons elected as members of the Board, the chief executive of the Ministry of Maori Development has good reason to believe that—

the chief executive shall forthwith report the matter to the Minister.

The election of candidates to membership of a Board must be by 1 or both of the following, as required by the Board, unless regulations made under this Act provide otherwise:

If an election is required by section 48, the Secretary of the applicable Board must, not later than 1 month after the latest date fixed by section 47 for the lodging of nominations,—

The Minister may appoint any person, including the Secretary of the Board or an officer of the public service, as the Returning Officer for an election.

A beneficiary who casts a vote must send the ballot paper or electronic vote to the Returning Officer not later than 1 month before the date of expiry of the term of office of the members in office.

After the time fixed for the return of ballot papers and electronic votes has expired, the Returning Officer must count the votes validly cast for each candidate and communicate the results to the Secretary of the Board.

Each candidate may appoint 1 scrutineer to be present at the counting of the votes.

Where in the opinion of the Minister (whether based on a report under section 49(3) or otherwise) it appears that irregularities may have occurred in respect of any election under this Act, the Minister may apply to a Judge of the Maori Land Court to investigate the conduct or result of the election.

On receiving any such application, the Judge shall fix a place, date, and time for the commencement of the investigation, and shall give notice of those matters, and of the purposes of the investigation, to the Secretary of the Board and to the Returning Officer.

The Judge may require the Secretary or the Returning Officer to produce all such enrolment applications, nominations, ballot papers, and other particulars relating to the election and under the control of the Secretary or the Returning Officer as the Judge may specify.

The Judge shall investigate each specific matter relating to the election as the Minister may require in the application, and may investigate any other matter relating to the election as appears to the Judge to warrant investigation.

If, after completing the investigation, the Judge is satisfied—

the Judge shall declare the result of the election, and shall send to the Minister the names of the persons elected as members of the Board and, where necessary, the section or division of the beneficiaries that each such person is elected to represent.

If, after completing the investigation, the Judge is not satisfied of each of the matters specified in subsection (5), the Judge shall report his or her findings to the Minister, and recommend such action as the Judge thinks desirable, whether under section 55 or section 55A or otherwise.

In any particular case, the Judge may, instead of dealing with the application under this section personally, appoint some other person, being a barrister or solicitor of the High Court of at least 7 years’ standing, to conduct the investigation; and in any such case, the provisions of subsections (2) to (6) shall be read as if every reference to the Judge were a reference to that other person.

An election under this Part shall not be invalid by reason of any irregularity in any of the proceedings preliminary to the voting, or by reason of any failure to hold an election at any place appointed for holding an election, or to comply with the directions contained in this Act or in regulations under this Act as to the conduct of elections or the counting of the votes, or by reason of any mistake in the use of the forms used at any such elections, if it appears that the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in this Part, and that the irregularity, failure, or mistake did not affect the result of the election.

Where anything is omitted to be done or cannot be done at the time required by or under this Part, or is done before or after that time, or is otherwise irregularly done in matter of form, or sufficient provision is not made by or under this Part, the Governor-General may, by Order in Council published in the Gazette, at any time before or after the time within which the thing is required to be done, extend that time, or validate anything so done before or after the time required or so irregularly done in matter of form, or make other provision for the case as he thinks fit.

Where in the opinion of the Governor-General irregularities have occurred in respect of any election under this Act which it would not be proper or desirable to validate under section 55, he may, by Order in Council, declare any such election to be invalid and make such provisions as he thinks fit for the holding of a fresh election.

An order under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

The Governor-General may from time to time, by Order in Council, make such regulations as are contemplated by this Act or as may in his opinion be necessary or expedient for giving full effect to the provisions of this Act and for the due administration thereof.

Any regulations made under this section may be of a general nature applying to all Maori Trust Boards, or may apply to 1 or more specified Boards.

Without limiting the general power hereinbefore conferred, it is hereby declared that regulations may be made under this section:

Any regulations made pursuant to subsection (3)(d) shall have effect according to their tenor notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Act.

Regulations under this section are secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

The enactments specified in the Schedule are hereby repealed.

Without limiting the provisions of Part 2 of the Legislation Act 2019, it is hereby declared that the repeal of any provision by this Act shall not affect any document made or anything whatsoever done under the provision so repealed or under any corresponding former provision, and every such document or thing, so far as it is subsisting or in force at the time of the repeal and could have been made or done under this Act, shall continue and have effect as if it had been made or done under the corresponding provision of this Act and as if that provision had been in force when the document was made or the thing was done.