Masterton District Council has unveiled the first Masterton street sign entirely in te reo Māori - Te Ara Pūrātā - which leads to a new commercial area off the southern end of Ngaumutawa Road, in Solway, Masterton.
The name was finalised after consultation with mana whenua.
"Pūrātā" means the great blossoming Rātā and reflects the fact that a great native forest once covered a large area from Solway to Masterton.
The te reo name for lane - "Te Ara" - is used in Auckland, and in several areas in the greater Wellington region, including lanes in Carterton, Lower Hutt, Waikanae and Palmerston North.
Council staff consulted Land Information New Zealand about the name and researched other examples in the region.
The road was vested to the Council by developer of the site, Steve Pilbrow, of Westwood Property Group.
“We are delighted to have the first fully te reo Māori street sign in Masterton and thank mana whenua for their contribution to this process,” Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell said.
“The name Te Ara Pūrātā is a beautiful reminder of the area’s heritage.”
ENDS
