Three-month submission period for Poverty Bay naming issue

File picture by Liam Clayton

The New Zealand Geographic Board Nga Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa has opened consultation to alter the name of Poverty Bay, a name given to Cook and the Endeavour’s first place of landfall in 1769.

The proposal to alter Poverty Bay to a dual name was put forward by Gisborne District Council and seeks to place the traditional Maori name alongside the existing English name on all official maps, charts and other official documents, says NZGB Secretary Wendy Shaw.

“The board met on April 12 and decided to progress the council’s proposal, which would place the Maori name alongside the existing English name for the bay,” says Ms Shaw.

“The board will publicly consult on the proposal for three months starting late May and people can make submissions during that time frame.”

GDC agreed in February 2017 to research the name of the bay and engage with the community to put forward a naming application to the New Zealand Geographic Board Nga Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa.

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“Dual names recognise special historical and cultural significance of both original Maori and non-Maori names,” said the council’s director of transformation and relationships Keita Kohere.

“It’s a long-standing aspiration of many in our community to reinstate the name Turanganui a Kiwa for the coastal bay, promoting and recognising our bicultural heritage,” she said.

Board representatives informed the council that place naming is a nationally-significant exercise and the Government has a consistent approach to place naming, recognising the strong connection between people, place and language. During the process of considering a name change, the board must consult with the community.

If names are contentious or there are opposing submissions, the final determination on the application is made by the Minister for Conservation and Land Information.

The consultation process involves publishing notices in local and national newspapers, in the New Zealand Gazette and on the Land Information website.

The decision is not based on the number of supporters of change but on the reasons behind the submission, the origin of name, its enduring nature, whether it sits well with the community, encouraging the use of original Maori names, identifying if the name corresponds to a geographical feature.

Submissions must state, with reasons, whether the proposal is supported or objected to, and if an objection is made, then the submission may set out an alternative proposal, or support the existing name.

Submissions to the proposed change may be made on forms available through https://www.linz.govt.nz/regulatory/place-names/place-name-consultation/15135? and sent to nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz or by writing to the Secretary of the New Zealand Geographic Board, c/o Land Information New Zealand, PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145.

The deadline for making submissions is August 24.