Larry Williams Drive

Signs re-establishing the former Whanganui town of Maxwell as Pākaraka were torn down hours after their installation. The Whanganui District Council supported the application and assisted with community consultation after the change was proposed, as the name Maxwell had a controversial history.  The signs were put up following a ceremony last Saturday, but were found ripped down hours after the fact. Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe wasn't surprised about the backlash, but suspects the negative responses didn't reflect the majority of the community. "There's a very small minority who disagreed with the change. And at the end of the day, this is probably an act of one or two individuals who have run the sign down, and that's certainly not what the view of the majority is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.