Manawatū District Council to request name alteration to include a macron

The current Manawatū District Council logo does not include a macron above the u.

Manawatū District Council has decided to ask the New Zealand Geographic Board to officially alter the name of the district to include a macron over the letter u.

In te reo Māori, macrons are used to indicate long vowel sounds and can alter the meaning or context of the word. They also help guide people unfamiliar with the word on how to pronounce it correctly.

The use of a macron in Manawatū differs across the district.

Many council staff and elected members already use the macron in Manawatū, and it is seen in many of the council’s official documents and digital channels.

The council wants to explore the process of officially altering the district’s name to help standardise the use of the macron.

The council’s decision recognises te reo Māori is a taonga for the Māori community, Mayor Helen Worboys says.

“While it might seem like a small gesture, we know that this is a significant step towards respecting te reo Māori and it’s something that council are happy to support.”

Should the name change go ahead, the inclusion of the macron is a straightforward administrative correction and any associated costs with the change are absorbed into the operational budget, she says.

In July 2021, the Manawatū Guardian raised the inconsistency of macron use with the council.

Its official name does not have a macron above the u in Manawatū as when the council was formed in 1989 its official name was Manawatu District Council, spokesman Ben Caldwell said.

He said at the time, the council was investigating how to go about adding the macron to the official name.

In 2021, the council was already using the macron on its Facebook page and website, in media releases and email sign-offs, among other documents.

The New Zealand Geographic Board will publicly notify residents of the proposal and seek submissions.