The Government says it will work to bring down the high price of insurance for marae - some of which pay more than $12,000 per year in premiums.
Te Puni Kokiri deputy secretary of policy Kim Ngarimu said many marae pay $1000 or more per month for cover.
While it's still in early stages, she said the department is working with the private sector to decide what could be done.
Ms Ngarimu said the minister and the department's chief executive have both recently met with an insurance company about group tangihanga insurance - which could be developed for the marae.
She said the meetings were a strong indicator of companies thinking about their products in a cultural context.
