By Dan Parker
An English immigrant with little grasp of the Maori language has changed the way at least one of its word is spelt.
Martin Warriner has forced the Kapiti Coast District Council to erase the macron from its title after an attempt to change the way people pronounce the region's name.
Mr Warriner moved from England to the Kapiti Coast to enjoy more sunshine and a quieter life, but lately he's found himself at the centre of a storm.
“Well I've been called bigot, a racist, I've been told to go home, but this is my home;
I've lived here for 25 years,” he says.
The catalyst for the name calling is Mr Warriner's public spat with the district council over its addition of a macron above the ‘a’ in Kapiti.
It was included on official publications and rates invoices to correct people's pronunciation.
Despite the Maori Language Commission agreeing with Mr Warriner, the Council argued for months but today it released a public statement saying that after legal advice it has changed its stance.
"Where Council is required to use its legal name then Kapiti should be spelt without a macron" it said.
In situations where it is not necessary to use the formal legal name, then Council has the discretion to spell Kapiti with a macron.
No one from the Kapiti Coast District Council would appear on camera but a spokesman told 3 News enough council time has already been wasted on the matter.
The back down was because of possible legal action from residents objecting to paying rates to a place name that the Local Government Act doesn't recognise.
“If we don't stand up for the small things – and this to a lot of people would seem trivial, petty minded – but if we don't stand up for those then we are never going to challenge the big ones,” Mr Warriner says.
And for Mr Warriner, Kapiti spelt without a macron actually spells victory.
3 News