Jurisdiction and Meetings of the Board

Jurisdiction

The Board is responsible for official place naming in New Zealand, its territorial waters and offshore islands, the undersea features of its continental shelf, and the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. The Board also reviews and concurs with the naming for Crown protected areas, which are administered by the Department of Conservation. Section 8 of the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008 provides for the extent of the Board’s jurisdiction.

Meetings

The Board typically meets for one day twice a year. The Board held two meetings in the reporting period, on 3 November 2008 and 27 March 2009. Special meetings may be required for urgent place naming matters (eg for Antarctic or Treaty settlement names) and may be held via teleconference.

There are two observers in attendance at Board meetings representing Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission). Meetings are not open to the public and are not set up to hear proposals or oral submissions.

The new Act provides for the establishment of committees, and the Board has identified the need to deal separately with Antarctic, undersea, and recorded names. These committees convene on an ‘as required’ basis, with limited membership from the Board, along with relevant experts. Other committees could also be formed from time to time.