Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

All signs pointing to te reo progress

Bay of Plenty Times
26 Jul, 2015 07:25 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Pat Spellman

Pat Spellman

Pat Spellman wants Tauranga to be one of New Zealand's first bi-lingual cities.

Last year the Bay of Plenty Times reported Mr Spellman planned to make signs in public places in English and te reo Maori.

Since then, the Flava radio host has lobbied and raised money for the signs - 40-odd sit in his office waiting to be put up, but the idea has come up with its challenges.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Maori Language Week, and 40 years since Dame Whina Cooper marched the 1975 Land March from Te Hpua (in the Far North) to Parliament.

Mr Spellman said progress on the signs had been slower than he would have liked "because there has been more behind the scenes in terms of having to have talked to more people than I thought I would need to".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I envisioned that it would just be go to the council with a great project, they say 'yes' and then it happens. But it's not that simple," he said. "The dream is still far from becoming a reality but it's still a dream I am content and passionate about pursuing."

The project was about 70 per cent complete. It was hard to say when the project would be finished. "It's just politics now but it will happen. Too many people have invested too much time, energy, love and money into it ...

"I'm hoping at some stage council will buy into the fact that Tauranga is more than just a one-dimensional city in terms of cultural awareness and there is more to offer. Tauranga is far from being as culturally diverse as it can be," he said. "It's more than just being Maori too, there are so many cultures ... in the Bay now that need an identity here.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Who knows, maybe when I am done putting these signs up maybe I'll work with the Polynesian or the Indian community to enhance their presence," he said. "Nothing I have done is new. This isn't a new concept or a new thing, or dream. It's revised and a new take on something significant but it can happen in more ways than one."

Discover more

Marae gets go-ahead for court

14 Mar 01:53 AM

Matariki countdown begins

14 Jun 09:02 PM

Tauranga Moana Matariki 2015 - What's On

15 Jun 02:34 AM

Kia ora greets users at whare pukapuka this week

28 Jul 12:30 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

07 Jul 08:19 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

07 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

07 Jul 08:19 PM

Tauranga installed 100 'sea pods' in May 2024 to boost marine habitats.

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

07 Jul 06:00 PM
'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP