Words and expressions used in Part 3 or Part 4 shall, unless the contrary intention appears, have the same meaning as in the Maori Land Act 1931 (in those Parts referred to as the principal Act), and the provisions of the principal Act, as far as they are applicable, shall extend and apply to the cases hereinafter provided for by this Act in as full and ample a manner as if Parts 3 and 4 of this Act had been incorporated with and formed part of the principal Act.

(1) There is hereby constituted a council to be called the East Coast Maori Trust Council (in this section referred to as the Council), consisting of representatives of the Block Committees constituted under section 18 of the Maori Purposes Act 1935. Each such Committee shall appoint 1 member to the Council.

(2) The Council shall be a corporate body with perpetual succession and a common seal.

(3) Each representative appointed under this section shall be a member of the Block Committee by which he is appointed and shall hold office as a member of the Council only during the currency of his term of office as a member of that Block Committee.

(4) Any member of the Council may at any time be removed from office by the Block Committee by which he was appointed, for inefficiency, disability, insolvency, neglect of duty, or misconduct, proved to the satisfaction of that Block Committee.

(5) If any member of the Council dies, or resigns, or is removed from office, his office shall become vacant, and the vacancy shall be deemed to be an extraordinary vacancy.

(6) In the case of any extraordinary vacancy the Block Committee by whom the vacating member was appointed may appoint some qualified person as a member of the Council for the residue of the term for which the vacating member was appointed.

(7) If any member of the Council is, by reason of sickness or otherwise, prevented from attending any meeting of the Council, he may in writing appoint some other member of the Block Committee by which he was appointed to act as his proxy for the purpose of that meeting.

(8) At the first meeting of the Council and at the annual meeting in every year thereafter, the Council shall elect one of its members to be Chairman of the Council.

(9) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he is present, and, in the absence of the Chairman from any meeting, the members present thereat may elect one of their number to be the Chairman of that meeting.

(10) No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present thereat. A quorum shall consist of not less than half the total number of the members of the Council.

(11) All questions coming before the Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present at the meeting, and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

(12) The powers of the Council shall not be affected by any vacancy in the membership thereof

(13) All proceedings, decisions, and resolutions of the Council shall be recorded in a minute book kept for the purpose.

(14) Subject to the provisions of this section the Council may regulate its own procedure.

(15) The Council may from time to time appoint some fit and proper person to act as Secretary of the Council and may at any time remove the Secretary from office. The Secretary shall not be a member of the Council but may be a member of a Block Committee. The Secretary shall be paid such remuneration as the Council, with the approval of the Minister, shall decide.

(16) The first meeting of the Council shall be held at such time as the Minister may approve and thereafter meetings of the Council shall be held at such times and in such places as the Chairman of the Council shall decide.

(17) The annual meeting of the Council shall be held in October in each year or as soon thereafter as may be practicable.

(18) It shall be the duty of the East Coast Commissioner appointed under Part 4 of the Maori Purposes Act 1931 to submit for the consideration of the Council all important matters and undertakings relating to the general administration of the lands vested in the Commissioner, to explain to the Council any material changes being made with regard to the trust estate, and to give heed to, and adopt, as far as he thinks the same is practicable or expedient, any advice, tendered by the Council in connection with the administration, management, or disposal of the trust estate. The East Coast Commissioner shall also supply to the Council a copy of his official balance sheet as soon as practicable after the close of each financial year.

(19) Out of moneys derived from any lands forming part of the trust estate, the beneficial owners of which have not been ascertained by the court, or out of the accumulations of any such moneys, the Council may, with the prior consent of the Minister of Maori Affairs, make grants, or donations or may authorise expenditure in the nature of grants or donations for any purpose. Any such grant or donation may be charged against the said moneys or the accumulations thereof.

(20) The East Coast Commissioner shall not, without the prior approval of the Council as aforesaid, make any donation for any purpose out of any such moneys or the accumulations thereof.

(21) Amendment(s) incorporated in the Act(s).

(22) Where an overdraft has been granted to the East Coast Commissioner by any bank before the passing of this Act the consent of the Council shall be necessary before there is any increase in the limit of any such overdraft.

(23) It shall be the duty of the Council to consider all matters referred to it by the East Coast Commissioner and to report to the said Commissioner all such matters affecting the trust estate and the beneficial owners thereof as it may think necessary to bring to his attention.

(24) The East Coast Commissioner shall refund to the members of the Council all reasonable expenses incurred by each member in travelling to and from duly summoned meetings of the Council and shall pay to the said members such daily allowances in respect of their attendance at such meetings as the Minister of Maori Affairs shall from time to time approve. The expenses incidental to the administration of the Council shall be charged to the general administration of the trust estate.

(25) Notwithstanding anything in section 27 of the Maori Purposes Act 1931, in the event of the office of the East Coast Commissioner becoming vacant for any reason, the Council may recommend the Governor-General to appoint or re-appoint any person to that office. In making any such appointment the Governor-General shall have regard to but shall not be bound by a recommendation of the Council.

For the purposes of section 20 of the Maori Purposes Act 1948, the term issue, when used in subsection (1) of that section in relation to a contingent residuary beneficiary, shall include any child or other descendant, whether legitimate or illegitimate, and whether a Maori or not, of the contingent residuary beneficiary, who would, if a Maori, be capable of taking by way of intestate succession an interest of the contingent residuary beneficiary in Maori land.