Alternative Naming For North & South Islands

The New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) Ng Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa last Thursday agreed to proceed to publicly consult on proposals to formally assign official alternative names to New Zealands two main islands meaning that either the English name or the Mori name, or both names together could be used as official.

NZGB Chair Dr Don Grant says the move follows the receipt of a proposal to change the name South Island to its original Mori name Te Waipounamu and to consider the original Mori name of the North Island at the same time.

At that time we noted that the existing English names were recorded names, rather than official names. They appeared on LINZs maps, charts and other official publications but had never been formalised under the NZGB Act.

The NZGB agreed in principle that the English names should be formalised, that as a related pair both islands should also be assigned Mori alternative names, and that all of the names should be formalised at the same time.

Following consultation with iwi, the NZGB determined that the most appropriate Mori names for the islands are Te Ika-a-Mui (for the North Island) and Te Waipounamu (for the South Island).

The NZGB Act was amended in December 2012, and now provides for alternative naming. As such, the NZGB agreed at its latest meeting on 28 March 2013 to begin the process to formalise these names.

This means that the two main islands of New Zealand could soon be referred to officially as the North Island or Te Ika-a-Mui and the South Island or Te Waipounamu.

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Alternative Naming For North & South Islands