Community Fights To Retain Identity

For the first time ever, the Howick, Pakuranga and Botany Community Boards have called a combined extraordinary meeting.

The meeting is to discuss the Local Government Commission’s decision that the new Local Board for East Auckland be called “Te Irirangi” rather than “Howick Pakuranga Botany” as was consulted on by the commission.

Councillor Michael Williams has proposed that the Howick, Pakuranga and Botany Community Boards request that the Local Government Commission change the name of the new Local Board back from “Te Irirangi” to “Howick, Pakuranga, Botany” as initially consulted.

The meeting will be held at Howick College, 7:30pm on Friday 26 March. Large numbers of people are expected to attend.

“We are running it as a public meeting to give members of the community an opportunity to comment” says Councillor Williams, “It is important that people come along to show the Local Government Commission that we have the support of the community in requesting the name change.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the name Te Irirangi” says Councillor Williams, “but it is not our name. We are Howick, Pakuranga, Botany or East Auckland. Those are the names we identify with.”

Naming our community “Te Irirangi” flies in the face of one of the principal purposes of Local Boards, which is to be responsible for place-shaping and community identity.”

There are two petitions circulating in the community, one organised by Councillor Williams and the other by Howick Councillor Sharon Stewart.

In addition, Howick Community Board Members Hamish Stevens and Lyn Murphy have received over 2000 responses to an internet-based survey asking people to choose between “Te Irirangi” and “Howick Pakuranga Botany”. 97% of respondents support “Howick Pakuranga Botany”.

ENDS

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