A Waipā councillor has reignited debate over road naming rights, arguing private landowners should have the final say on their land – even when council policy prioritises Māori names.
Roger Gordon
Crs Roger Gordon and Philip Coles were dissenting voices when the council’s Service Delivery committee approved the name Taawharuwharu Lane for what is currently a private right of way at 2/1215 Kaipaki Rd west of Cambridge.
Landowners, the Marsden family, had proposed Marsden Ave or Marsden Lane, citing a possible ancestral link to Rev Samuel Marsden, a missionary who introduced Christianity to New Zealand.
Waipā District Council’s naming policy emphasises increasing the use of Māori names, particularly those with local topographical or historical relevance.
Development Engineering team leader Harry Baxter noted that while Marsden was a nationally significant figure, he had no direct connection to the Waipā district.
Philip Coles
Gordon argued that ownership of the private land should be quite strong in determining the name of the road.
“That would outweigh the other considerations as long as it did comply with one of the factors of our policy which in this case it does.”
The naming policy gives weighting to topographical features within the community.
“On principle I think this is not a good move. There have been many occasions in the past, street names across the region, after the developer or the owner of the land. A lot of precedent has been set in terms of road naming.
“If the landowner wishes to see that name given to the road, I think that is a strong case,” said Gordon.
Andrew Brown
Cr Andrew Brown said he supported the Taawharuwharu name.
There had been a proliferation of names which meant nothing to the district in the past.
“I’m pleased to see a name recommended which has meaning to the area it is in.”
Māori ward councillor Dale-Maree Morgan and mana whenua representative Hinerangi Kara also backed the name Taawharuwharu. Kara warned against undermining the council’s own policy, calling it “a dangerous and slippery slope.”
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk acknowledged the ongoing friction around road naming and suggested a compromise might still be possible.
Dale-Maree Morgan
“In this instance, it was either Marsden Lane or nothing else,” she said.
“Given the Marsdens are the current and continuing landowners, I believe another solution could be explored.”
Brown said land ownership was not permanent and should not override cultural or historical considerations.
Despite the opposition, the committee approved the name Taawharuwharu Lane, aligning with the council’s policy to honour local Māori heritage and topographical features.
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Road names are contentious. Photo: Johannes Plenio pexels.com
