te reo Māori signs vandalised
The signs were recently installed as part of a 'wayfinding' project to tell the stories and history of the mountain and the wider Mt Maunganui area.
Ngā Poutiriao ō Mauao chair Dean Flavell said the signs were wilfully damaged over the weekend, with te reo Māori names in particular scratched out.
"These signs are there to help locals and manuhiri enjoy this iconic taonga, and a way for the community to connect with our sacred maunga," Flavell said.
"Access to Mauao is a privilege, not a right and anyone who is identified disrespecting the maunga will be trespassed and lose their access to this special place."
Flavell told RNZ the vandalism was spread right across the maunga's extensive network of tracks.
"From that perspective, it seems like it's been targeted towards the kupu Māori. The wayfinding is over the entire mountain and someone's taken it as their job to destroy or take over the kupu Māori."
Link to article: Mt Maunganui te reo Māori signs vandalised | RNZ News
