Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene is welcoming a move by Canterbury Regional Council to acknowledge the dual names of many South Island landmarks.
She says names link people to the landscape and the decision recognises the dual cultural heritage of Te Waipounamu.
Mrs Katene told Waatea News that dual place names keep iwi history alive and the new policy was overdue.
"Maori place names are important," she said.
