A discussion about proposed street names for an Invercargill subdivision has highlighted a lack of clarity around council policy on te reo Māori names.
On Tuesday, councillors were asked to approve Halligan Way and Bushaven Way as right-of-way names at an Ōtatara subdivision.
The preferred options were provided by the applicant alongside others such as Greenside Way, Greenview Way and Bushview Way.
Deputy mayor Tom Campbell was quick to point out there were no te reo Māori options offered by the developer, which he believed was a requirement.
In response, council group manager finance and assurance Patricia Christie said the council encouraged the inclusion of te reo names but it was not a condition.
“The policy that we have got at the moment highly recommends them but if the developer doesn’t give us that offer, it is a lot of staff time to try and suggest other options.”
Christie said there was no approved list of te reo Māori names, meaning developers had to “come up with them” themselves.
In relation to the lack of an approved list, mana whenua representative Pania Coote said it had been agreed te reo Māori names would be provided based on the area.
“Instead of doing a scattergun list, we were more focused on the whakapapa of the areas requiring a name.
“This did not come to us in any way or form to provide input.”
Chairman Grant Dermody said the process was discussed but it had never been put into the policy.
Councillor Ria Bond’s understanding was that any proposed name would go past mana whenua to be looked at before coming to council, but Christie explained that was only when te reo ones were proposed.
Ultimately, the suggested titles were approved, with Christie informing the policy would soon be up for review.
The subdivision at 60 Ōtatara Rd has created 31 lots.
Halligan Way drew inspiration from successful Invercargill golfer Graham Halligan, while Bushaven Way is a nod to the area’s connection to nature.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
