Like his parents Mr White spent five years studying French and said having never been there it had never once came in handy.
"I had to pick up te reo on my own," he said.
"My own siblings don't even speak the language."
Mr White said becoming a bilingual city was a way to acknowledge the constitutional right of te reo Maori as a New Zealand language.
"If we take our eyes off the ball it could almost go backwards in time and become extinct," he said.
"It's already an endangered language."
Mr White said there were so many ways the language could be used to connect the community.
"People will start to understand the beauty, the depth and the poetry of the language," he said.
"We can lift Rotorua to a whole new level of cultural tourism and cultural understanding."
The proposal could see new bilingual signage pop up over the city with interpretive panels and information on reserves, plus changes to websites and document translations.
"It's imprinted in our landscape already," Mr White said.
"When you're walking through our streets, Hinemoa, Tutanekai, Haupapa, Pukuatua, you are coming through that story."
Mr White said te reo Maori went right to the heart of the Rotorua community.
"We're not looking for privilege," he said.
"We both [Te Tatau o Te Arawa board and Rotorua Lakes Council] want to get on with each other and do the best we can for our community.
"This is an exciting time for us as a city growing up and maturing in our relationship."
Mr White said this was only one part of their journey towards a true partnership.
"I'm passionate about this, let's make it happen, let's make it real."
This Friday Te Tatau o Te Arawa has organised a plaque to be unveiled at Rotorua Lakes Council which symbolises the move to Rotorua becoming a bilingual city.
What: Unveiling of bilingual Rotorua plaque
Where: Rotorua Lakes Council
When: 2pm Friday
