This can only happen by replacing the current Act, not just tinkering with it. There have been more than 180 statutes relating to Māori land over the last 168 years—180 statutes and 168 years, and, unfortunately, that volume of legislation reflects the tendency of politicians to fiddle around the edges of this important issue rather than deal with comprehensive reform of it. This bill is based on the fundamental principle that Māori land endures as a taonga tuku iho by virtue of whakapapa, that tikanga Māori is fundamental to matters involving Māori land, and that the Treaty of Waitangi is central to the application of laws affecting Māori land. The bill is also grounded in the idea that Māori land owners have the right to decide for themselves how their land is governed and how it is used, to take advantage of opportunities to develop their land for the benefit of present and future generations, and to have disputes managed in a way that maintains and enhances relationships among the owners and members of the whānau and hapū. 