Public consultation on changing the name of Maxwell to Pākaraka is under way.
Whanganui District Council is supporting Ngāti Maika hapū of Ngā Rauru Kītahi iwi to undertake consultation on changing the name of Maxwell to Pākaraka.
The consultation will inform its application to the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the name of the locality north of Whanganui.
The Ngā Rauru Deed of Settlement, signed with the Crown in 2003, encourages conversations between Ngāti Maika and the council on this matter and in May 2020 they approached the council to seek support to go through the New Zealand Geographic Board renaming process.
In August this year, the council made a formal decision to support Ngāti Maika to make this application and also to carry out the required community consultation.