Decision to rename Lower Hutt suburb of Petone to Pito one referred to minister

Numerous iwi groups brought the proposal to the council, seeking a correction of a historic 'misspelling' of the Hutt Valley suburb.

Land Information Minister Chris Penk will have the final say on whether Lower Hutt’s Petone is renamed Pito one.

The suburb – formerly known as Pito one after the Pito one pā site – was renamed Petone when colonial settlers arrived.

The Geographic Board met yesterday after the name-change proposal was endorsed by the Hutt City Council.

Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the decision was made to refer the proposal to the minister.

“There is no statutory timeframe or deadline for the minister to make a decision,” she said.

Shaw earlier confirmed to NZME that businesses would not be required to change their name if the suburb reverted to its original name and spelling.

“The indication that the board has is that the minister is very careful when considering these controversial place names and wants to take all information into account.”

The Geographic Board received a proposal on December 21 from the Wellington Tenths Trust and Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust regarding changing the suburb’s name. Consultation was later agreed upon, with the board considering submissions.

A prior letter of support from Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry stated the application to revert the name to Pito one was “consistent with the objective of [the city council’s] naming policy to ensure we use correct names to protect and enhance the character and heritage of Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai [Lower Hutt]”.

Pito one roughly translates to “end of sand beach”, referencing burying an umbilical cord, a pito, in the one, the sand, as a way to connect people to a place.

Deputy Mayor Tui Lewis supported the name change, previously telling NZME “I think it’s an honourable thing to do to take it right back to its proper name”.

According to a council spokesperson, the current name is thought to be “either a misspelling or mispronunciation of the original Māori name for the area”.

“We have a strong commitment to mana whenua and one way we do this is to support their ability to make a name change proposal to the New Zealand Geographical Board.”

The Geographic Board states a name is a fundamental part of address, which recognises heritage and culture, and gives a sense of place.

Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.