A sign on a Piripai property expresses the feeling of some local residents about the name of Coastlands which, although incorrect, seems to have become stuck in administrative databases.
People living in areas of Whakatāne district they know as Piripai, Pāroa and Poroporo say they've had enough of being grouped under the generic name of Coastlands.
Piripai tangata whenua Pearly Sullivan, Margie Biddle and Billy Keepa say having their whenua renamed Coastlands erodes both their people's identity and connection with the land, as well as the land's history.
As well as being incorrect, they say it is a name that touches on old wounds among some members of hapū, Ngāti Hokopū and Ngāi Taiwhakaea.
Coastlands Beachside Estate is a residential subdivision developed at Piripai, started in the 1970s by Lysaght Developments. It covers a 1.36 square kilometre area at the end of Keepa Road.
