New Zealanders will soon be able to have their say on a few towns and place names around our motu.
The New Zealand Geographic Board/Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa is proposing to change some place names including restoring the original Māori name for Russell (Kororāreka).
Among the name changes the Board is proposing to change the Whangārei suburb Kamo to Te Kamo, changing Clive River to Te Awa o Mokotūāraro, and tohutō (macrons) were added to a few names where they had been omitted in the past, including the Whakatīkei River, Kaumātua Ridge, and Whāingaroa Harbour.
The most significant change would be restoring the original Māori name for Russell (Kororāreka). Russell is a small town in Bay of Islands/Pēwhairangi and was one of the first places where Pākehā settled in Aotearoa New Zealand. The name-change proposal has local support from Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi and the Far North District Council.
The public can submit their thoughts from today until February 18 and the Board will discuss the feedback at their mid-year hui.
Submissions can be made online here or by email to [email protected]
