Ōpōtiki District Council has decided, against recommendations from staff, to install a sign on the side of Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi explaining that it is a library.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the council voted to have an aluminium sign painted with the words “Ōpōtiki District Library” in a font half the size of the Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi letters, attached to the barge board at the top of the King Street side of the building.
The sign is expected to cost around $12,000 plus GST.
The $4 million library, built with the help of central government funding through Kānoa, was opened in December 2021 with the name Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi, which had been gifted to the building by Whakatōhea kaumatua Te Wheki Porter, with the support of Te Riaki Amoamo, five years earlier.
One commenter said the adding of the sign would “colonise” the name of the building.
Hayward’s recommendation was for the multilingual signage being added to the front windows as it was a cheaper option that would not diminish the building’s name.
Hayward said it was because the council had money in the budget to cover the $525 cost of the window signage but not for the two barge board options.
Brooks tabled a motion to adopt the aluminium signage and councillors voted in favour of it.
Credit: radionz.co.nz
