The Crown Forestry Rental Trust has approved funding for Ngapuhi hapu with land claims before the Waitangi Tribunal.
The move follows a High Court decision resolving an internal dispute which has paralysed the trust for most of the year - forcing the Crown to pay for several rounds of hearings in the north.
Ngati Hine spokesperson Pita Tipene says the release of funding ends a worrying period of uncertainty for many hapu.
He says the Crown Forestry Rental Trust has come together at last to provide support for the sub-tribe to prosecute its many claims.
The approved funding will pay for research and hearings for the northern claims right up to the end of next year, Mr Tipene says.
The Tribunal's Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry involves nearly 400 claims from Ngapuhi and related hapu.
