Bilingual kura school traffic signs unveiled in Napier

Representatives from mana whenua, Waka Kotahi, Te Mātāwai, Napier City Council and St Patrick's School at the unveiling of the new Kura School sign outside St Patrick's School in Napier.

Te Mātāwai and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency unveiled one of the first bilingual kura/school traffic signs last week after a recent rule change.

The Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices (Kura/School Signs) Amendment 2022, which specifies requirements for "school" signs that can be used on roads, now requires bilingual sign supplements for new school signs.

Speaking at the launch in Ahuriri Napier, Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod, local Te Mātāwai Board representative and director at Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, said Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated salutes the efforts being undertaken to normalise te reo Māori again within our tribal region.

"We are a tribe who suffered major language losses and initiatives such as these go a long way to reinstating te reo Māori within the district."

Te Mātāwai Board co-chair Reikura Kahi says this kaupapa represents a positive contribution to Māori and the Crown shared vision, kia māhorahora te reo Māori – to share and celebrate Māori language.

"We see this as a critical step to expand the spaces where people feel empowered to use the Māori language in their communities."

Waka Kotahi director of land transport Kane Patena said this small but important step represents a significant opportunity to increase Aotearoa whānui engagement with te reo Māori through traffic signs.

The introduction of the new rule is part of the He Tohu Huarahi Māori bilingual traffic signs programme led by Te Mātāwai and Waka Kotahi which will see more bilingual signs enabled using a phased approach.

"The Waka Kotahi vision of contributing to having te reo Māori seen, heard and spoken is aligned with Te Mātāwai," Kane says.

The amended rule shows the word kura in bolder font above the word school to differentiate te reo Māori and English on new school traffic signs.

The kura/school signs will be used by road controlling authorities when existing signs need to be replaced or new signs are introduced. Existing English-only school signs remain legal traffic signs until they are replaced.