Street-naming policy revisited

GOLFING: Sir Bob Charles, who learned his trade in Masterton.

A street-naming policy prepared for Masterton District Council 19 years ago is to be revisited at a meeting of the council today.

The policy was the work of three former councillors, Jim Wagg, John McDonald and Alison Vallance, along with Wairarapa archivist Gareth Winter and will either be reaffirmed, altered or perhaps passed on to a council workshop session for scrutiny before returning to the council table.

As it stands, a property developer opening up a large subdivision which creates a new road and who pays for its construction including services is given the opportunity to put forward a name for the road.

Staff then seek historical information from the Wairarapa Archives, including any significance to iwi, before the name proposal is put to council for consideration and decision.

Today, the council's policy and finance committee will discuss the street-naming policy and decide its future path.

Back in 1995, the naming policy stipulated it was to cover the entire Masterton district including the coastal settlements and was to be "non-arbitrary in its application".

Duplication with other road or street names in other Wairarapa towns was to be avoided and care taken to avoid similarities such as French Street and Fleet Street or Montgomery Crescent with Montgomery Place, and developers were to be given a copy of the policy.

It suggested street names should be concise, euphonious and tasteful and noted an "earlier fixation" with naming streets after British males, including military figures and members of the royal family.

Names should be reflective of Masterton and the Wairarapa primarily and should not strive simply for political correctness.

The 1995 policy then went on to list 43 past and present people who could be commemorated by naming a street after them, including past leaders of the Maori community, 14 possible names for walkways in the central areas and a list of eight other names commemorating businesses, Maori waka, the town's sister cities and the World War II New Zealand warship Achilles.

Among the named people thought worthy of street naming consideration was international golfer Sir Bob Charles, rugby legend Sir Brian Lochore, former cricketing fast bowler Richard Collinge, 1880s prophet Paora Potangaroa, pioneering magistrate Herbert Wardell, the district's first Anglican minister Reverend William Ronaldson and kuia Kuini Te Tau.