Following a request from the Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board, Christchurch City Council staff are preparing a proposal for the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa to change Kaputone Creek to Kā Pūtahi.
The geographic board has the authority when it comes to naming places.
It will review the proposal and, if accepted, community board chairwoman Emma Norrish said it will consult the public on the alteration.
However, the geographic board only meets a few times each year, with the proposed name change hopefully on its July agenda.
“We all recognise the importance and inherent value of the everyday use of te reo Māori, including the pronunciation and original spelling,” she said.
“As more people learn te reo Māori, it is the ideal time to correct place names and acknowledge the role of our indigenous language in enabling acceptance of cultural diversity.”
At the same community board meeting, members also asked staff to consult residents on proposed plans to rename the two riverside reserves.
The new names, gifted by a local rūnanga, reflect the significance of the Styx area. Under the proposed changes, Styx River Reserve No. 2 and Kaputone Esplanade Reserve would be renamed Te Waoku Kahikatea and Te Waoku Kapuka, respectively.
Council staff are set to update the community board on May 7 after public consultation over the suggested names.
