17 March 2026
File Ref: OIA 50611
Frank Kingi
[FYI request #33784 email]
Tēnā koe Frank,
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your information request dated
20 February 2026. You sought the following:
“under the official information act i'm seeking information on the policy work te puni
kokiri has done with te matawai following the review of te ture mo te reo maori 2016.
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.tpk.govt.
nz%2fen%2fo-matou-mohiotanga%2fte-reo-maori%2fte-ture-mo-te-reo-maori-
2016-
review&data=05%7c02%7coia%40tpk.govt.nz%7c6e7939ccddd246c59e5e08de70
08948b%7c3114765b871e4130aaabb28f4c297926%7c0%7c0%7c639071379335
180027%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjfbxb0eu1hcgkionrydwusilyioiiwljaumdaw
mcisilaioijxaw4zmiisikfoijoitwfpbcisilduijoyfq%3d%3d%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=qvk
3j5ou9r56dqqzag39b1kuuvxsaj%2fjy2hsue1%2fxrc%3d&reserved=0
scope:* i'm not seeking information on the category 1 recommendations being
progressed through the maori purposes bil . i can see those changes on your webiste
and the parliament website.
* i seek information on policy work on the category 2 & 3 review recommendations
from since the minister of māori development received the report in november 2022
until now. i request:
a) key internal reports, key working documents, key planning documents about
policy work on the category 2 & 3 recommendations.
b) any final reports to the minister of maori development about the category 2 & 3
recommendations.
I'd appreciate confirmation this request has been received.
I've made a request to Te Matawai for information also.”
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (
Act). I
understand your request to only relate to Category 2 and 3 of the recommendations
provided by the Steering Group for the review of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016. As such,
I have decided to release documents that relate to your request, with necessary redactions
applied.
Six documents have been identified in scope of your request. The documents and my
decisions with regard to the release of the information are set out in the table attached as
Appendix A.
Some information has been withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act, which applies to
maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of
opinions. The materials include internal commentary, exploratory questions, and
early‑stage discussions. Information has also been withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i ) of the
Act to protect staff from improper pressure or harassment, and section 18(d) of the Act
as the information requested is already publicly available or wil soon be publicly available.
Release of this information would be likely to inhibit officials from freely providing candid
internal views in future, which would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
In relation to information that has been withheld under section 9 of the Act, I am of the
opinion that there are no countervailing considerations that make it desirable, in the public
interest, to make the information available at this time.
Background
As you are aware, Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 established the Māori–Crown
partnership for language revitalisation through Te Whare o Te Reo Mauriora (
Te Whare),
bringing together the Maihi Karauna and the Maihi Māori.
The review of the operation and effectiveness of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori Act 2016
(Section 39 refers) was completed in 2022 (
Te Ture review) by the Steering Group, which
advised that ongoing work should be coordinated through Te Rūnanga Reo, the key
partnership forum.
Since then, work has been underway to refresh the Maihi Karauna, with the intent to build
on the gains made and address the chal enges to be more focussed in our language
revitalisation efforts. The refresh wil also consider trends and or issues since the original
strategy was launched in 2019 including findings from previous reviews. The refreshed
Maihi Karauna is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
My response
The refresh of Maihi Karauna aligns closely with several Category 2 and Category 3
recommendations made by the Steering Group, which call for strengthened Crown
accountability, clearer strategic direction, and improved system coordination across the
Māori language sector.
The refresh will continue to uphold the Te Whare partnership model, as the core
partnership framework guiding collaboration between the Crown, iwi and Māori
collaboration, consistent with the partnership approach established in Te Ture mō Te
Reo Māori 2016.
Together, these work programmes contribute to the intent of the Category 2 and 3
recommendations in the Te Ture review by reinforcing partnership structures,
improving coordination between Crown agencies, iwi and Māori, and ensuring
system‑level strategy is refreshed and responsive.
Since your request only relates to Category 2 and 3 policy work, I have not provided
information on the Maihi Karauna refresh. You can learn more about the refresh on our
Te Puni Kōkiri website, Maihi Karauna.
You may also be interested in the recent Specialist Advisory Report on options for
improving how the Crown’s investment across the Māori Language Entities (Te Taura
Whiri, Whakaata Māori, and Te Māngai Pāho) can be better aligned and leveraged to
strengthen te reo Māori revitalisation outcomes. The report can be found on our website
Te Rōpū Tohutohu Motuhake – Te Pūrongo a te Rāngai Reo Māori.
I trust my response satisfies your request.
Further information
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that Te Puni Kōkiri publishes some of its OIA responses on its website, after
the response is sent to the requester. The responses published are those that are
considered to have a high level of public interest. We wil not publish your name, address
or contact details.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please
feel free to contact us at [TPK request email].
Nāku noa, nā
Paula Rawiri
Hautū, Te Puni Kaupapa | Deputy Secretary, Policy
Appendix A: Documents - OIA 50611
Item Date
Document description
Decision
1.
5/12/2022
Copy of Te Ture Programme 2023 sorting 9tm feedback) v5
Released with certain
- A joint draft work programme between Te Mātāwai and Te Puni Kōkiri following information
withheld
the review of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori
under
s 9(2)(g)(i)
2.
17/02/2023 46509 BP MFMD Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori review and related advice
Released in full, with
- A briefing paper to the Minister for Māori Development on the review of the certain
information
report with related advice.
withheld
under
s
9(2)(g)(ii)s
3.
17/02/2023 46509 Attachment 1: Steering Group Report on the review of Te Ture mō Te Reo Withheld under
s 18(d)
Māori 2016
information is already
- This is the Review of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 Report to Te Minita publicly available or will
Whanaketanga Māori, Hon Willie Jackson, Hoa Toihau mō Te Mātāwai, be publicly available soon
Reikura Kahi.
4.
17/02/2023 46509 Attachment 2: Terms of reference for the review of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori Withheld under
s 18(d)
- This paper outlines the terms of reference of the review and was agreed to by information is already
the Minister for Māori Development and the Co-Chairs of Te Mātāwai.
publicly available or will
be publicly available soon
5.
17/02/2023 46509 Attachment 3: Table of proposals
Released with certain
- Internal working table summarising proposed amendments to Te Ture mō Te information
withheld
Reo Māori 2016 (current text, proposed change, rationale, stakeholder views), under
s 9(2)(g)(i) grouped by Categories 1–3.
6.
03/03/2023 A3 Summary of paper 46509 Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori review and related advice
Released with certain
- This A3 is a high‑level slide summarising the key findings of the 2022 Review information
withheld
of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016, along with the Steering Group’s under
s 9(2)(g)(i) recommendations and the next steps for progressing technical and
substantive amendments.
- Note: the A3 for 46507
Updating the Māori Broadcasting Strategy in response
to wider public media changes is out of scope.
