The Maori Party Te Pati Maori is pushing to have all NZ's geographical names replaced by the end of the next election cycle.

"New names are initially resisted by some but are ultimately accepted and become part of everyday language. Signage and use in the media help, but it will take time", according to a recent piece in Newshub.

 "In the Christchurch rebuild, for instance, the new library has been named Tūranga. There is no mention of ‘library’ in the title."

Recently, the Māori names for the seven stations were gifted by two Mana Whenua Forums of iwi to KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and City Rail Link who jointly proposed the names to Pou Taunaha. This statutory body was first established by an Act of Parliament in 1946 and is the mandated national authority responsible for official place names in New Zealand, its offshore islands and continental shelf, and the Ross Dependency of Antarctica.

Pou Taunaha has officially altered Britomart Station to Waitematā Railway Station

Mt Eden Station becomes Maungawhau station and two stations between will be called Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape.

 Drury Railway Station becomes Ngākōroa Railway Station, and a new station becomes Paerata

These changes may not seem significant as they replicate already known names in some cases, but it is just a small part of what is intended. 

Please chip in to give greater exposure to this petition before the election and write to your MP and Opposition candidate to push this issue. Share in Facebook and Twitter. Too many people do not see what is happening before their eyes in the rush to eliminate all traces of our shared history.