1929 Māori land development schemes set up

The first Māori land development scheme was set up by Native Minister Sir Apirana Ngata. The Government provided funds for the development of Māori land and sometimes contributed small areas of Crown land to the schemes. The tenure of the farmers on the schemes, though commonly chosen from among the landowners, was not always satisfactory. Inadequate Crown management of at least some schemes resulted in large accumulating debts, which had to be borne solely by iwi. In some instances, for example the Ngāti Manawa Development Scheme, the debt has only recently been paid off. Māori started to move off the land in the 1930s, an urbanisation greatly accelerated by the Second World War.