Marae would receive funding through a $2.44 billion permanent trust owned and governed by hapū and iwi under a Greens policy which the party says would end reliance on short-term government funding cycles.
Te Waonui a Tāne, the party's proposed 2026 Tiriti policy, would create Te Rangatiratanga Trust with dedicated Crown funding of $1.22 billion a year paid over two years.
The trust would run two complementary funds. Te Rākau Whakarauora Restoration Fund would receive $400 million over four years for priorities such as restoring buildings, emergency preparedness, climate adaptation and protecting taonga and wāhi tapu.
Henry McMullan caught up with whānau finally able to move into their temporary accommodation after a year of living in a marae. (Source: 1News)
The party pointed to marae opening their doors during crises, from the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes to severe weather in Gisborne and Northland, while facing ageing buildings and fragmented funding across multiple agencies.
A further $2 billion would seed Te Tōtara Haemata Intergenerational Fund, a diversified investment portfolio designed to preserve capital and distribute returns to hapū and iwi. Investments could include renewable energy, housing and Māori enterprise.
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the policy treated marae as critical infrastructure.
"When the roads are closed, marae stay open," she said.
"Marae are essential, critical infrastructure like hospitals and schools, and require dedicated, sustained resourcing like we are announcing today.
"Climate adaptation requires investment in our resilience. Social cohesion requires spaces to bring people together and celebrate our unique identity."
The party said one in three marae were at risk of flooding, one in three sat in landslide-prone areas and two in five were susceptible to liquefaction in an earthquake.
Co-leader Marama Davidson said the plan would create "an ongoing and protected source of funding for marae, hapū, and the communities around them".
"Current funding for marae creates uncertainty as it's based on the priorities of the government of the day. Our marae are too important for that level of uncertainty."
It comes as Hawke’s Bay residents called on Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell to deliver on election promises. (Source: 1News)
The Greens said the $2.4 billion figure was in line with comparable long-term public funds, including the NZ Super Fund's initial $2.4 billion contribution in 2003 and Australia's $2 billion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund.
The party modelled the trust spending $10 million a year on establishment costs and $100 million a year on restoration funding over its first four years.
Using Treasury investment return assumptions, the party estimated the $2 billion invested through the Tōtara Haemata fund could grow to about $3.8 billion by 2039/40, with annual distributions of between $47 million and $118 million once matured.
Under the plan, the trust's governance would be designed through nationwide wānanga with hapū and iwi, informed by constitutional transformation processes such as Matike Mai, with funding distribution able to follow Whānau Ora-style regional commissioning.
The Crown's role would be limited to establishing the trust and transferring capital, with no authority to direct investments, appoint trustees or alter funding decisions.
The party said the trust was separate from the Treaty settlement framework and would not replace any existing rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
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