A Bay of Plenty Maori incorporation's plans to develop land are being hampered because it cannot contact enough of its shareholders.
The Mangatawa Papamoa Incorporation has sought direction from the Maori Land Court on ways to get around the 50% shareholder support needed to approve some consents.
It was denied a long term lease application last year because it failed to gain the support needed from its 600 shareholders.
It says it released public notices and hired a researcher to track them down, but for 30% of them either their details are unknown or they are dead.
Mangatawa wants to build a rest home and garden centre, so it asked the Maori Land Court whether the Act would allow it to set up a Maori Trustee to represent the shareholders it can't reach.
Judge Craig Coxhead says many Incorporations are facing these difficulties, but refused to issue a direction.
He says a Trustee would relieve the Incorporation of its duties to contact shareholders, and would struggle to represent people it can't contact.
