NZGB naming policies, principles and guidelines
The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) weighs the information, evidence and views on name proposals and submissions against these rules, criteria, standards, guidelines and policies.
Frameworks of the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa
As the result of national and international trends and developments that the NZGB agrees to adopt from time to time, the contents of the NZGB’s Frameworks document are subject to ongoing refinement and enhancement.
The NZGB adheres to the policies, principles, guidelines and practices in the Frameworks document as closely as possible; however, sometimes there are exceptions.
Frameworks of the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa
Minimum requirements for name proposals
The Chairperson applies these requirements when the NZGB formally receives or returns a standard geographic feature name proposal for processing:
Policy on minimum requirements for geographic name proposals (PDF 66.71 KB)
Kaupapa for Māori place names
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.
Kaupapa for Māori place names (PDF 99.54 KB)
Consulting with Tangata Whenua
Find out about how you can consult with Māori when investigating place names.
Read consulting with Māori when making a place name proposal
Standard for Crown protected area names
This Standard explains the criteria that the NZGB uses when reviewing and concurring with proposals from the Department of Conservation (DOC) to assign or alter official Crown protected area names. All proposals made by DOC should conform with this Standard.
Standard for Crown protected area names - NZGBS60001
Standard for undersea feature names
This Standard has the NZGB’s rules about what undersea features can be named, and who or what they can be named after. All proposals for undersea feature name proposals should conform with this Standard.
Standard for undersea feature names - NZGBS60000
Protocol for undersea feature naming
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.
Protocol for undersea feature naming (PDF 883.78 KB)