Board documents, policies and standards

Find our guiding legislation, standards for place naming, our place naming strategy and policies, and our Annual Report.

Legislation

Official naming of geographic features and places is guided by the New Zealand Geographic Board (Nga Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008.

It sets out the Board's powers, functions, duties, jurisdiction, and provides a framework for New Zealand’s official place naming into the 21st century.

The 2008 Act came into force on 1 November 2008 with minor amendments in 2009, 2012 and 2025.

Standards

Standard for New Zealand place names – NZGBS60002
Standard for Antarctic place names in New Zealand’s area of interest - NZGBS60003
Standard for undersea feature names - NZGBS60000
Standard for Crown protected area names - NZGBS60001
Standard for altering Region and District names - NZGBS60004

Te Rautaki | Strategy

Our strategy sets out our goals and objectives and how we will achieve them.

Annual reports

The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (the Board) is New Zealand’s national place naming authority. This annual report covers the Board's activities for the year 2025/26.
The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (the Board) is New Zealand’s national place naming authority. This annual report covers the Board's activities for the year 2024/25.
Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) is New Zealand’s national place-naming authority. In 2023/24 it has continued its role as the principal adviser to the government on place names, carried out consultations on place names across New Zealand, and published numerous decisions.
Mount Misery to Maungatūtū, Clive River to Te Awa o Mokotūāraro and naming the newly formed lake Lake Te Horonui are just some of the decisions highlighted in the Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board 2022/23 Annual Report – available here in both English and te reo Māori.
The 2021/22 annual report of the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa, which aims to secure and celebrate New Zealand’s unique identity through place names.
Presented to the Minister for Land Information as required by section 14 of the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008.
Presented to the Minister for Land Information as required by section 14 of the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008.
Presented to the Minister for Land Information as required by section 14 of the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008.

Māori Language Plan

The purpose of Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa Māori Language Plan is to be clear about the impact the Board has or can have in relation to language revitalisation.

Policies and protocols

The NZGB has a function to collect and encourage the use of original Māori place names on official maps and charts. To help it to do this and to encourage Māori participation, the NZGB has developed this Kaupapa which describes ways of engaging with the appropriate Māori.
This Protocol was developed by the NZGB in collaboration with MFAT to encourage other nations to consult with the NZGB before naming undersea features within its area of interest and before submitting a proposal to the Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names (SCUFN), who are a group of international experts on naming undersea features.
This policy provides guidance when considering and applying generic terms to geographic names. The primary purpose of the generic term is to describe the feature part of a place name, eg River or Maunga.
This policy specifies the New Zealand Geographic Board’s requirements for place or feature name proposals, including evidence required. Kia āta mārama ai ngā kōrero e hiahia ana te NZGB mō te tono ingoa wāhi, ingoa tārainga whenua, tae atu ki ngā taunakitanga ka hiahiatia.

Other documents

NZGB Minimum Requirements Guide List - English
PDF
75.12 KB
NZGB factsheet consulting with iwi
PDF
136.85 KB
NZGB Karakia
PDF
159.86 KB

Written by Shane Te Ruki (board member April 2020 to July 2023) specifically for the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa