Initiatives such as the directional road signs were a start and the council would continue exploring and adopting more te reo Māori placenames around the district.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was important to recognise the status of te reo Māori as a taonga of iwi Māori and to celebrate and support the revitalisation of the language in Hastings.
“Being familiar with te reo Māori, along with mana whenua aspirations, values and cultural customs helps us to acknowledge our unique cultural heritage and identity, and build stronger, more equitable communities,” Hazlehurst said.
The implementation of the Heretaunga Ararau Te Reo Māori Action Plan is guided by a memorandum of understanding with Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.
Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber welcomes the introduction of te reo Māori on the new signs.
“It’s very important for our Ngāti Kahungunu identity, our tikanga. They talk about place and our connections to that place and we are happy seeing that being recognised in this way,” Barber said.
The new signs will not only be easier to read, but they will also provide consistency for wayfinding around the Hastings CBD.
It is likely the work will begin next week with the removal of berm-mounted signs first and the replacement of overhead signs and maintenance of existing gantries to follow.
The contractors will try to limit traffic disruption as much as possible and traffic management will be in place, with detours where practicable.
While some work will be done after 6pm, for efficiency, contractors will need to undertake work during the daytime as well.
