As is standard now in Jacindaland. a.k.a. New Zealand, new public buildings are given Maori names only,
The new art gallery and library in Blenheim is named Te Kahu o Waipuna, the one in central Christchurch is Turanga and the library in Johnsonville, Wellington, was named Waitohi, albiet part of a centre with that name. The Mahara Gallery is now Toi Mahara, so it looks likely the word library won’t be in the Waikanae library’s name.
Of course, books and libraries didn’t exist in pre-European NZ, so the Te Aka website of the Maori Language Commission has created whare pukapuka for library. It also gives huarewa for gallery.
I cannot imagine the cost of changing all these ridiculous names back to English so that the very vast majority of the population has some bloody idea where they are going or the place they are trying to find…just borderline insanity and the cost of doing all this could be money spent on helping people with serious health issues and and unaffordable medicines.
I noted in my feedback that I want to see the words Waikanae library retained as that was what it was called when Council allowed it to deteriorate as they did and that is that it should be called upon it’s resurrection. I am not against a dual name but I cannot believe that Maori only names are very helpful to visitors to any region when they are looking for a library!