Te Ao Māori

School delivers petition to Gisborne District Council

06:33 am on 29 July 2013

A petition with nearly 2000 signatures calling for Poverty Bay to be called Turanganui a Kiwa has been delivered to Gisborne District Council.

Kaiti School is pressing for a name change after students discovered their region used to be known as Turanganui a Kiwa - until the British explorer Captain James Cook came ashore.

Earlier this month, the students and teachers marched to meet Gisborne Mayor, Meng Foon.

The school has recently given a petition to the council.

Principal Billie-Jean Potaka Ayton said she's very proud of the students for presenting it to the council.

She says they explained to local politicians why they were pursuing a name change.

Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon said the petition will be examined by the incoming council after the election in October.