New Zealand Geographic Board
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) (Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

: Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) is constituted under the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008, formerly under the New Zealand Geographic Board Act 1946. Although an independent institution, it is responsible to the Minister for Land Information. It has responsibility for geographical and hydrographic names within New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and its territorial waters .
This includes naming small urban settlements, localities, mountains, lakes, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s, waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

s, harbours and natural features and may include researching local Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

 names. In the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...

 region of Antarctica it has named many geographical features. It has no authority to alter street names, a local body responsibility, or the name of any country.

Much of the controversy about the work of the NZGB derives from the movement to revert placenames to their pre-European forms, written in contemporary orthography with standardised spelling, macrons, etc. The NZGB has authority over official placenames only, and most placenames, including most towns and cites, ports and bodies of water have not been mentioned in legislation or validated by treaties, and so are not official. One of the largest sources of official placenames is Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....

 settlements, which frequently rename places (particularly uninhabited places) and commonly introduce names with macrons, until recently absent from placenames.

In 2008 the members are:
  • Dr Don Grant, Surveyor-General/Chair
  • Sylvia Allan
  • David Barnes
  • Dr Kay Booth
  • Dr Apirana Mahuika
  • Dr Wharehuia Milroy
  • Dr Sir Tipene O'Regan
    Tipene O'Regan
    Sir Tipene O'Regan is a New Zealand academic and company director. Born Stephen Gerard O'Regan, son of Dr Rolland O'Regan and Rena Ruhia , he is a director of a wide range of South Island Maori enterprises...

  • Professor Michael Roche
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