Ngāti Kahungunu wants te reo road works signs reinstated

Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber and the te reo Māori stop/go road works sign. Photo / Composite image

One of NZ’s biggest iwi has hit out at the NZ Transport Authority Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and the Minister of Transport after they said “taihoa” to a roadworks sign in te reo Māori in Hawke’s Bay.

Ngāti Kahungunu is demanding a full rewrite of the Traffic Control Device rulebook that NZTA uses so the stop-go sign can be reinstated.

It was pulled last week after driver William Chambers spotted it at roadworks on Matapiro Rd off the Napier-Taihape Rd run by Tūpore Infrastructure.

Chambers argued the meaning of taihoa was not as clear as “stop” and that the sign could also be dangerous for tourists.

It was subsequently removed from the site after confirmation it didn’t conform with the rulebook.

Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber said the decision to not allow the taihoa/haere sign was not about “rules”, but about “racism”.

“Te reo Māori is not a translation, a novelty or a risk. It is official. It is sacred. It is ours. It belongs on our roads just as it does in our wharenui, classrooms, homes and workplaces,” he said.

Barber said he loved seeing the use of te reo in roading signage and said as the sign is only two words surrounded by green or red, most people would understand this as stop or go.

“This is a perfect opportunity to introduce te reo to the masses,” he said.

Barber said Ngāti Kahungunu wanted the immediate reinstatement of bilingual signs in te reo Māori and English and a full rewrite of NZTA’s rulebook so that “this never happens again”.

“Te reo Māori is a language of this land. It must be seen, spoken, and protected – not paused, not questioned and not erased."

A spokesman from NZTA said in response to Ngāti Kahungunu that it appreciates te reo Māori is an official language of New Zealand and will continue to use it in many parts of its work.

But the spokesman said safety on the road was “non–negotiable" and the use of approved signs was “critical to ensuring all road users and traffic crews remain safe around work sites”.

“NZTA would welcome the opportunity to discuss the work with Mr Barber and he is welcome to get in contact with regional leaders.”

The spokesperson said there were a small number of traffic signs in the Traffic Control Devices Rule conveying a message in te reo only (e.g. Marae, Kōhanga reo, Tangi), but most traffic signs were presented in English.

“The taihoa/haere signs are signalling critical messages for traffic (stop, go, slow) which could impact on safety,” the spokesperson said.

“Careful consideration and testing would be needed if replacing English with te reo Māori or adding te reo Māori to make a sign bilingual.”

The Traffic Control Devices Rule is a transport regulation. It is the responsibility of the Minister of Transport and NZTA is not able to change it, NZTA said.

It must adhere to the law and only use signs specified in the rule.

The spokesman said the new Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 had been finalised and bilingual/te reo Māori traffic signs are not identified as the Government’s priority.

A representative for the Minister of Transport directed Hawke’s Bay Today‘s questions to NZTA.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.