A submission to change the Bay of Islands town of Russell’s name to the traditional Māori name of Kororāreka has been declined.
More than 1800 submissions were received — 52% in support of the name change and 48% against it.
Minister for Land Information Chris Penk said he consulted with colleagues across the Government to make his decision “given the close margin and the historical weight of the decision”.
“Through that process, it became clear there was insufficient support to proceed with the proposal,” Penk said.
Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board publicly consulted on the proposal from the Kororāreka Marae Society, which lodged a name-change application in September 2021.
The board considered three options: An outright change to Kororāreka; the dual name Kororāreka/Russell; or the alternative names option where both had equal standing.
Kororāreka marae Society chair member Deb Rewiri expressed disappointment at the decision.
“We [Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti] are frustrated and astounded at this current coalition Government and their divisive behaviour when faced with doing the right thing.”
Rewiri said the board supported the name restoration along with most of the submissions; however, the opposing submissions “were for dual names to be carried, and that wasn’t a consideration for the Minister”.
“We will continue to call our village by its rightful name.”
Rewiri told Breakfast in July 2024 that Kororāreka was “the only town in the Far North that did not carry its original name”.
Kororāreka Marae Society chairperson Debra Rewiri said the historical context of the traditional name is “really significant” for Māori in the region. (Source: Breakfast)
“There’s something unusual about that when Paihia is Paihia and Waitangi is Waitangi … all the traditional names that were part of our history and in terms of Russell, it wasn’t there.
“Even though when our people, our Māori people, [came] into the village, that’s all they’d call it, Kororāreka,” Rewiri said.
Penk said he wanted to “acknowledge the important work of the Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board and thank everyone who took the time to make a submission”.
