Craig Linkhorn examines issues connected with the availability of finance to develop Māori land and the use of Māori land as security for loans, using two case studies. The paper concludes with some remarks about the New Zealand situation that might be relevant and of interest to those working with Indigenous landowning communities in Australia.

There has been escalating media coverage of the view that Indigenous economic disadvantage and housing and infrastructure shortages are linked to communal title to land resulting from land rights and native title. Jon Altman, Craig Linkhorn and Jennifer Clarke challenge the view that privatising or individuating this land might generate better economic and social outcomes...