Developers will be given an expanded repertoire of street names to choose from when the Tauranga City Council's new naming of streets, reserves and council facilities policy comes into force.
The council strategy and policy committee meeting expanded the possible street definitions by adopting a national standard that adds new meanings to the word ‘street'.

A street can be a passage, a rise or even an elbow. But while the new naming of streets reserves and council facilities policy has added the national list of appropriate terms relating to streets, it is hoping to simplify the actual names of the glades, dens, dells and drives that developers will offer as suggestions.
In future, the council will give preference to names which reflect the identity of Tauranga, the historical significance of the area, Maori cultural significance, people important to the area, and events of international significance to Tauranga.
Street names are also supposed to be unduplicated in Tauranga or the Western Bay of Plenty. They should preferably be short single words and be easy to spell and pronounce.
In submission, Rob Paterson from Banksia Dell says the council should use common sense.
'I do have some issues with unpronounceable Maori names,” says Rob.
Councillor Murray Guy also has issue with Maori names, saying the council's recent approval of a raft of Maori names for the Lakes showed the council's current policy wasn't working.
'Some people don't have problems with it,” says committee chairman David Stewart.
The new naming policy replaces a half dozen separate policies that give direction for naming streets, reserves, and commemorative places.