Geographic Board opens consultation on proposed place names and announces official ones

Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board announces recent decisions for official place names, and invites public submissions on proposed place name alterations.

Open for consultation

Rangiriri

The proposal is to alter the recorded unofficial locality names Rangiriri, Rangiriri West, and Churchill, which are north of Huntly, to one official name Rangiriri with a new officially defined extent (boundary). People are invited to make submissions on this proposal until 8 August 2023.

Whangamarino

The proposal is to officially define the extent (boundary) of the official locality name Whangamarino, which is north of Huntly. The proposed new extent of Whangamarino locality includes Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. Whangamarino refers to a peaceful stretch of water. People are invited to make submissions on this proposal until 8 August 2023.

Pūāwhē

The proposal is to alter the recorded unofficial place name The Cone to Pūāwhē for the peak at 953m on Pirongia Mountain, approximately 20km west of Te Awamutu. Pūāwhē is an original Māori name about a story of love and conflict between Māori and patupaiarehe (spirit people). Another kōrero tells that the patupaiarehe who bewitched Tāwhaitu used a bundle of tree fern or caterpillars. People are invited to make submissions on this proposal until 11 July 2023.

Herwin Creek

The proposal is to alter the official name 5 Mile Creek to Herwin Creek for a small stream that flows from the south end of Richmond Range into Motupiko River, northeast of St. Arnaud. The Herwin family originally lived in the area. People are invited to make submissions on this proposal until 11 July 2023.

Te Kakau Bank

The proposal is to alter Kaukau Bank to Te Kakau Bank and make it the official name for the undersea bank offshore from the southeast coast of North Island approximately 5km east of Te Kakau Point. It is connected to Te Kakau Point, a significant site for Ngāti Kahungunu and is where the Ngāti Hinewaka pa Titirangi is located. People are invited to make submissions on this proposal until 11 July 2023.

For more information about each proposal, you can view these on our consultations page.

New official place names

The following place and feature names have today been made official:

• Te Awa o Mokotūāraro (from Clive River), Clive, Hawke’s Bay. A river flowing northeast for approximately 7.5km from Pakowhai Road Bridge northeast of Hastings, through Whakatu and Clive to join the mouth of the Ngaruroro River which flows into Hawke Bay. For more information on this name change, see the separate media release Te Awa o Mokotūāraro name confirmed for Hawke’s Bay river. See also Te Awa o Mokotūāraro
• Ngāmoko Stream, Coromandel Peninsula. A small and partially tidal stream flowing north-northwest for approximately 1.8km to Little Bay, at Waikawau Bay, Coromandel Peninsula. For more information on this name change see Ngāmoko Stream
• Kahurangi Valley (from Heaphy Sea Valley). An undersea feature offshore from Kahurangi Point on the northwest coast of Te Waipounamu South Island.
• Southwest Challenger Bank (from Westpac Bank). A undersea feature near the southwest edge of Challenger Plateau, west of New Zealand.
• Southwest Challenger Hills (Westpac Bank Hills). A cluster of undersea volcanic hills on top of  Southwest Challenger Bank, west of New Zealand.

About Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa

Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board is an independent statutory body. Pou Taunaha is supported and administered by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.

Anyone may propose a name for a geographic feature or place. Pou Taunaha uses naming guidelines and standards and follows international good practice to help it to make robust and enduring decisions.

Pou Taunaha recognises the importance of pronunciation in te reo and macrons support both pronunciation and meaning. Therefore, Pou Taunaha follows the orthographic conventions of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).

If Pou Taunaha doesn't agree with a proposal, it may consult on a different proposal considered to be more appropriate.

Pou Taunaha consults with relevant agencies, local communities, stakeholders and iwi. It researches all proposals and encourages the use of original Māori place names.

Official place names must be used in all official documents like road signs, maps, websites, databases and publications for tourists.

Anyone can make a submission on proposed place names, either online or by emailing nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz, or by mailing directly to the Pou Taunaha Secretariat.

Official and recorded place names can be searched in the New Zealand Gazetteer.

Kua tuwhera te whakapā haere a Ngā Pou Taunaha mō te tono ingoa wāhi, kua pānuitia anō ngā ingoa kua mana 

Kua pānuitia e Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa ngā whakatau o nā tata nei mō te ingoa wāhi mana, e kimi whakaaro ana anō ia i te iwi tūmatanui mō ngā tono kia whakarerekētia te ingoa wāhi.   

Kua tuwhera mō te tuku whakaaro mai  

Rangiriri

E tono ana kia whakarerekētia ngā ingoa wāhi kua takoto kīhai anō i mana mō Rangiriri, mō Rangiriri West, me Churchill, kei te raki o Rāhui Pōkeka, kia kotahi tōna ingoa mana, ko Rangiriri, kia mana anō ōna paenga hou. E pōwhiritia ana te tangata kia tuku whakaaro mai mō te tono nei i mua i te 8 o Hereturikōkā 2023.

Whangamarino

E tono ana kia mana te tautuhia o ngā paenga o te ingoa wāhi mana o Whangamarino, kei te raki o Rāhui Pōkeka. Ka uru atu ki te tono mō ngā paenga hou o Whangamarino te Hampton Downs Motosport Park. E kōrero ana a Whangamarino mō te marino o ōna wai. E pōwhiritia ana te tangata kia tuku whakaaro mai mō te tono nei i mua i te 8 o Hereturikōkā 2023.

Pūāwhē

E tono ana kia whakarerekētia te ingoa kua takoto kīhai i mana o The Cone ki te Pūāwhē mō te tihi e 953m kei Pirongia Maunga, kei tōna 20km ki te uru o Te Awamutu. He ingoa Māori taketake ake a Pūāwhē e kōrero ana mō te aroha, te taupatupatu i waenga i te Māori me te patupaiarehe. Arā anō tētahi kōrero mō te ātahungia o Tāwhaitu e te patupaiarehe ki te pū tūōkura, te pū ā-whē rānei. E pōwhiritia ana te tangata kia tuku whakaaro mai mō te tono nei i mua i te 11 o Hōngongoi 2023.  

Herwin Creek

E tono ana kia whakarerekētia te ingoa mana o 5 Mile Creek ki te Herwin Creek, mō tētahi manga iti ka rere i te pito tonga o Richmond Range ki te Awa o Motupiko, i te raki-mā-uru o St. Arnaud. I konei te whānau Herwin e noho ana i mua.  E pōwhiritia ana te tangata kia tuku whakaaro mai mō te tono nei i mua i te 11 o Hōngongoi 2023.

Te Kakau Bank

E tono ana kia whakarerekētia a Kaukau Bank ki Te Kakau Bank ka whakamana ai i tēnei ingoa hei ingoa mō te parenga takere moana kei waho atu o te tahatika tonga-mā-rāwhiti o Te Ika-a-Māui, kei tōna 5km ki te rāwhiti o Te Kakau Point. E hono ana ki Te Kakau Point, tētahi wāhi hira ki a Ngāti Kahungunu, kei konei te pā o Titirangi o Ngāti Hinewaka. E pōwhiritia ana te tangata kia tuku whakaaro mai mō te tono nei i mua i te 11 o Hōngongoi 2023.

Mō ētahi atu kōrero e pā ana ki tēnā me tēnā tono, tirohia ēnei i tā mātou whārangi whakapā.

Ingoa wāhi hou kua mana

Kua mana ngā ingoa wāhi me ngā ingoa tārainga whenua e whai ake nei:

• Te Awa o Mokotūāraro (mai i te Clive River), Clive, Te Matau-a-Māui. He awa ka rere i te raki-mā-rāwhiti mō ētahi 7.5km atu i te Arawhiti o te Ara o Pakowhai i te raki-mā-rāwhiti o Heretaunga, rere atu ana mā Whakatū me Clive ki te waha o te Awa o Ngaruroro, ka rere ki Te Matau-a-Māui. Mō ētahi atu kōrero e pā ana ki te panonitanga o te ingoa nei, tirohia te pānui pāho motuhake Te Awa o Mokotūāraro name confirmed for Hawke’s Bay river. See also Te Awa o Mokotūāraro
• Ngāmoko Stream, Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui. He awa iti taikato tētahi wāhi ka rere i waenga pū o te raki me te uru-mā-raki mō tētahi 1.8km ki Little Bay, i Waikawau Bay, i Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui.  Mō ētahi atu kōrero e pā ana ki te panonitanga o te ingoa nei haere ki Ngāmoko Stream
• Kahurangi Valley (mai i te Heaphy Sea Valley). He tārainga takere moana kei waho atu o Kahurangi Point i te tahatika uru-mā-raki o Te Waipounamu South Island.
• Southwest Challenger Bank (mai i te Westpac Bank). He tārainga takere moana pātata ki te tonga-mā-uru o Challenger Plateau, i te uru o Aotearoa.
• Southwest Challenger Hills (mai i te Westpac Bank Hills). He huinga puke puia kei te takere o te moana kei runga ake i te Southwest Challenger Bank, ki te uru o Aotearoa.  

He kōrero mō Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa

He rōpū motuhake ā-ture a Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa. E tautokohia ana, e whakahaeretia ana mātou e Toitū Te Whenua.

E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tono ingoa mō tētahi tārainga whenua, tētahi wāhi rānei. Ka whai a Pou Taunaha i ētahi aratohu taunaha, ētahi paerewa, i ētahi tikanga mahi papai o te ao anō e pakari ai, e mauroa ai tāna i whakatau ai.

E mōhio ana a Pou Taunaha ki te hiranga o te whakahua tika i te reo, ka tautoko hoki te tohutō i te whakahua tika me te aronga o te kupu.  Nō reira, ka whai a Pou Taunaha i ngā tikanga tuhi a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

Ki te kore a Pou Taunaha e whakaae ki tētahi tono, tērā ia ka whakapā haere mō tētahi tono e whakaarotia ana he hāngai ake. 

Ka whakapā haere a Pou Taunaha ki ngā umanga e hāngai ana, ki ngā hapori o te hau kāinga, ki te hunga whai pānga me te iwi. Ka rangahaua e ia ngā tono katoa, ka whakahau anō kia whakamahia ko te ingoa Māori taketake ake. 

Me mātua whakamahi te ingoa wāhi mana i ngā tuhinga mana katoa pērā i te tohu huarahi, te mahere whenua, te paetukutuku, te putunga raraunga me ngā tuhinga mā te tūruhi.

E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tuku whakaaro mai mō te ingoa kua tonoa, me tāpae tuihono mai, īmēra mai rānei ki nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz, me tuku hāngai mai rānei ki te Taituarā o Pou Taunaha.

Ka taea te toro ngā kōrero mō te ingoa mana me te ingoa kua takoto i te New Zealand Gazetteer.