Naming Policy 2025

Names are important – they represent who we are as a city, and reflect our cultures, our histories and our connections to the environment around us and to each other.

Names also have whakapapa – they connect us to the past and to the future. As a community we have the responsibility to ensure that the future names for Porirua uphold, respect and reflect the mana of our people, our mana whenua and the whakapapa of our people and city – now and into the future.

Council partners with mana whenua Ngāti Toa Rangatira in naming decisions. This means Ngāti Toa suggest and/or endorse names for our city that celebrate te reo Māori, reflect and celebrate local Māori history and whakapapa and honour connections to our whenua.

Council has drafted a new naming principle, alongside proposed naming subjects that are intended to replace the current themes and naming conventions in a new Naming Policy.

New naming principle and naming subjects

Our aim with the naming principle is that we want people in Porirua to see themselves represented in the city. We want people who visit our city to connect to who we are, know who the mana whenua is, and we want to celebrate our diverse cultures and languages.

The naming subjects are the topics or themes that names can be based on and the subjects reflect the principle.

Please take the time to share and have your say on the future of naming for Porirua city.

The survey closes at 5pm on Tuesday 11 March 2025.