Renaming SH1

As part of revoking the old State Highway 1 (SH1) to make it a local road, the stretch between Poplar Avenue and Peka Peka Road can no longer be called a state highway (or ‘old’ or ‘former’ SH) for address and identification purposes.

The journey so far 

In early 2017 we set up a working group representing local iwi Ngati Toa Rangitira, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, and Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, with local historian Anthony Dreaver to research and suggest possible names for seven sections of the former SH1 between Poplar Ave in Raumati and Peka Peka.  

Dividing the old SH1 into sections was deemed the most sensible approach as it reflects the existing numbering, allowing residents to keep the same street numbers for their properties. Renaming sections also provides us with an opportunity to adopt names which reflect the local character and history of each part of the road. 

Once the working group identified suitable names, we invited the Kāpiti Coast community to provide feedback on the proposed name(s) and about 580 did so. All suggestions were assessed against Council’s road naming criteria [PDF 370 KB] and Land Information New Zealand’s (LINZ’s) best practice guidelines.

At that time no decisions were made, and the project was put on hold due to delays with the revocation.

Now revocation is complete, Council must rename the road(s).

Changes in 2025

Originally, we looked at renaming seven sections, but we’re now looking at five:

• Section 1 (Paekākāriki to Mackays Crossing no longer needs renaming as it will remain part of the state highway.
• Section 7 (Peka Peka to Te Kowhai Road) will now extend from the Peka Peka roundabout to Ōtaki River and forms part of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki (PP2O) revocation so renaming is on hold until completed.

Next steps

Once Council decides on the name(s), they will be formally notified. This will involve working with LINZ, affected property owners, business operators, and emergency services to ensure there is a smooth transition to the new road names and/or any numbering changes. This could take up to 24 months.

Proposed names

In 2017 the working group identified possible names that reflect the district’s rich historical and cultural history. Community boards and the public also made suggestions. All road names must meet Council’s road naming criteria but none of the options with ‘Main Road’ in the name comply as it’s too generic and commonly used, creating potential for confusion especially for emergency services:

Read proposed name descriptions and their significance [PDF 1.02 MB]

Amohia Street and Rimutaka Street in Paraparaumu are names with a strong historical connection to the district, so it’s proposed they be retained.