Rural Land Use and Land Tenure: observations and implications for Māori

This research summary examines how land tenure, land quality and location affect rural land use, with a focus on implications for Māori freehold land. It compares four land uses — dairy, sheep and beef, forestry, and scrub — and reports that Māori freehold land is often less intensively developed than comparable general land, even after land quality and remoteness are taken into account.

The summary also discusses why this matters for policy. It outlines how multiple ownership, administration barriers, poor land quality and distance from markets can limit development options, and notes that some environmental policies may have uneven effects on Māori landowners.