Row as city keeps its name

A row has erupted between Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia over a failed bid to change the spelling of the town.

Mr Laws says Mrs Turia, a Wanganui resident and member of the local Whanganui iwi, is mistaken in her claim that last week's referendum asking voters whether they backed changing the name to Whanganui failed because of a lack of education.

Of the more than 55 per cent of eligible residents who voted, around 82 per cent opposed the change, preferring instead to keep the present spelling.

The issue has divided the community, largely along racial lines.

Local Maori claim Wanganui is a spelling mistake that has no meaning in Maori. They claim Whanganui, meaning big harbour or large expanse of water, was the name given by an ancestor, Hau, more than 600 years ago.

The issue is complicated by the unique dialect of Whanganui iwi members who speak with an almost silent h when pronouncing wh.

Mrs Turia said Maori were a minority in Wanganui and would always struggle to get the numbers democratically for a change.

She blamed the response of voters on a failure by the council to educate them.

But Mr Laws, also a Radio Live talkback host, told Auckland's Radio Waatea that a summary of the explanation was included with referendum voting papers. He said it followed a more detailed background paper delivered to all households late last year.

Mr Laws said he was delighted by the outcome.

"People have attempted by stealth to respell our city and district and the public of Wanganui have rejected such tactics. It is now appropriate for a number of organisations in Wanganui to reconsider the spelling of their organisations in light of this result."

Mrs Turia said she was disappointed but refused to get into a "public slanging match".

"There was a process which they could have followed which could have provided a great opportunity to engage our communities in dialogue about an issue of such significance to Whanganui iwi. It was a chance to move on, together, as a community ... It's more than just a place name."

The change would have ended a confusion that has official recognition for the Whanganui River, Whanganui electorate and Whanganui national park, but a different spelling for the city.