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 139KB)

Checklist of required information to assist with proposals meeting minimum requirements (PDF 113KB)

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 100KB)

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 New Zealand place names

This standard sets out the New Zealand Geographic Board’s criteria for naming features and places in New Zealand

Standard for New Zealand place names – NZGBS60002

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 altering Region and District names

This standard provides local authorities with a concise reference for making a proposal to alter a region or district name.

Standard for altering Region and District names - NZGBS60004

Standard for Antarctic place names

This standard sets out the New Zealand Geographic Board’s criteria for naming features and places in New Zealand’s area of interest in Antarctica.

Standard for Antarctic place names in New Zealand’s area of interest - NZGBS60003

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 884KB)

Generic terms policy

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.

Generic terms policy (DOCX 34KB)