Lost in translation
$500,000 process to change the city’s slogan dubbed a ‘wasteful disgrace’.
Twist in $500k Auckland slogan row
Auckland’s proposed new $500,000 slogan has been dubbed the “most expensive two-word translation in the history of the city”.
Ngati Whatua Orakei Trust has expressed disappointment over the slogan, “The Place Desired by Many” — worked on by 115 council staff over two years and created without proper consultation with iwi.
Away from the City of Sails, mayors have ripped into the slogan. Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn called the cost “patently ridiculous”.
Tamaki Makaurau, “the land loved by many”, is a translation used by Ngati Whatua Orakei and many iwi across the region for centuries.
“Ngati Whatua Orakei believes a lot of time and money could have been saved by simply engaging with iwi and the community,” the Ngati Whatua Orakei Trust said in a statement.
“The trust is disappointed that this proposed slogan is likely to end up on the scrap heap because the process has not been handled well.”
Meanwhile, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance slammed the project’s budget.
“This must be the most expensive two-word translation in the history of Auckland,” said spokeswoman Jo Holmes.
That was not what Aucklanders paid their rates for, she said.
And it has drawn an angry response from many Aucklanders.
“Not only a complete, and certainly not-required, waste of council’s time and ratepayers’ money, but one of the worst city slogans in history,” wrote Barry Brown.
Jewele McLeod summed the situation up with, “If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry.” Others questioned why the slogan needed to be changed at all.
Around the country, other mayors wondered whether half-a- million dollars was a reasonable price for five words.
Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn was shocked when the
Herald on Sunday told him how much had been spent. “We’ve just been through a rebranding exercise here over the last three years and we came up with a slogan for our area of Greymouth — put it this way, our [cost] was more like four digits [than six].”
Kokshoorn hoped new Auckland Mayor Phil Goff could get on top of Auckland’s budget. “The ratepayers aren’t a bottomless pit.”
Hamilton mayor Andrew King did not wish to give his verdict on the slogan, saying it wasn’t his town, but he did say it cost a lot.
Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt questioned whether the hassle of trying to get people on board with a new city slogan was worth it.
“It’s never going to be an easy ride.” Money was another issue altogether, “and it is one that causes upset every time there’s a change”. Goff didn’t respond to the Herald
on Sunday yesterday. A spokeswoman told the Weekend
Herald the mayor was not interested in championing the project.
The ratepayers aren’t a bottomless pit. Tony Kokshoorn