Chief Executive of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage - Taonga Tūturu found at Cook's Cove, Tolaga Bay (2017) 71 Tairāwhiti MB 267 (71 TRW 267) [pdf, 276 KB]
...taonga in a legal entity for safekeeping ensures the taonga are protected for, and on behalf of, the traditional owners. In the case of the heitiki found at Plimmerton, Judge Harvey found that a valuable taonga of this kind must be preserved and cared for by those with the necessary resources and expertise, and it would be inappropriate to vest the taonga in any person who did not have ready access to such facilities and knowledge. In coming to his decision, Judge Harvey noted that:...