Aotearoa Is Not New Zealand - West Coast Iwi Leader

Friday, 26 September 2025, 5:33 pm
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

A South Island iwi leader has objected to the now common use of the phrase Aotearoa-New Zealand and insisted on its removal from the West Coast’s new District Plan.

Coast councils and iwi yesterday approved Te Tai o Poutini Plan, (TTPP) combining the land use rules for the region’s three district councils, Buller, Grey and Westland, and land managed by mana whenua.

But not before Ngati Mahaki leader Paul Madgwick tackled the planners over the liberal use of ‘Aotearoa-New Zealand sprinkled throughout the weighty document.

“Aotearoa is not the official name of the country," the Makaawhio Runanga Chair told the TTPP planners.

The phrase had become commonly used and promoted by some groups recently, he conceded.

But standardising it across the whole country was insulting to (South Island) iwi Ngai Tahu, Mr Madgwick said.

“Aoteaora is not New Zealand, it is the North Island. The South Island is Te Wai Pounamu. When you see it in the (TTPP) report, it stands out.”

West Coast iwi would have to appeal against the plan if those references remained in the document, Mr Madgwick warned.

The correct phrase should be "Aotearoa me Te Wai Pounamu": (Aotearoa and Te Wai Pounamu,) he said.

The TTPP committee agreed the error would be corrected in the final version of the plan, which goes to the printers today (Thursday 25) and will be publicly notified on October 10.

Disclosure: Mr Madgwick is also the Editor of the Greymouth Star. He had no part in the writing or editing of this story.

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