The disposals process
The general process for disposing of Crown-owned land follows the 4 steps below. Properties may be disposed of at any stage of the process.
- Determine if the land is needed for any other public works.
- Determine if the land needs to be offered back to the person the Crown originally purchased it from, or their successors.
- Offer the land to Māori under a Treaty settlement. This process is called Right of First Refusal. Alternatively, the Crown may decide to hold the land for a future settlement.
- Sell the land on the open market.
When a Crown agency wants to dispose of property that it owns, it must follow the requirements of the relevant legislation that applies to that land. This can include the Public Works Act (1981), Land Act (1948) or Treaty of Waitangi settlement legislation. In addition, there may be government policy that needs to be progressed and we work to ensure significant values on the land are protected.
Read more about the protection of values on Crown-owned Land
Our disposals processes include working with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
Right of First Refusal
Find out about Rights of First Refusal, and how they fit into the process for disposing of and leasing Crown-owned land.