Te Reo Māori revamp coming to lifts in Government buildings thanks to Christchurch schoolgirl

After meeting with Fair Go and the elevator company to argue her cause, Rangimarie has been asked to provide the elevator’s voice.

One Kiwi student has successfully helped her Christchurch school to become the first in New Zealand to have te reo in its lifts as part of Fair Go’s Consumer Heroes.

Thanks to Rangimarie, Government buildings around the country will also soon have automated Te Reo Māori voice instructions in their lifts, with Wellington’s Bowen State Building up first.

A student at Ao Tawhiti in Christchurch, Rangimarie speaks fluent reo and said she couldn’t understand why there was no Māori language in lifts.

“I want te reo everywhere,” said Rangimarie.

“So I wrote emails to The Building Code people Standards New Zealand, The ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and my local MP.

“What I learnt was there's not any rules or law that says the lift voice can't be in Māori.

She said she then emailed the lift people and when she didn’t hear anything back from them asked Fair Go for help.

It was then that Fair Go stepped in and made a call the Schindler, the lift company, to get them on board.

Rangimarie was also asked to provide her voice for the lift recordings. 

“I am in a bit of shock, happy shock, I’m just so excited and really happy."

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