The Tauranga City Council have struck out at a "sad" and "racist" section of the community after te reo Māori translations on more than 40 rubbish bins were painted over.
Bins in Kulim Park, Pilot Bay and Marine Parade were all vandalised, with yellow paint being splashed over the translations describing what each bin is for.
Council Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley labelled the act as "racist", saying the police have been notified and such behaviour won't be tolerated.
"This is not who we are, or who we want to be, and is a sad reflection on a small section of our community," she said.
"Our message to those who are responsible for this silly and misguided vandalism is that it's totally unacceptable, and we invite them to reflect upon the cost and hurt they are inflicting."
Tolley said it is important that te reo is visible in the city and added the bins will be "swiftly restored to their original state".
"Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand, and anyone who chooses to detract from the increasingly important role it plays in our everyday language is detracting from our heritage."
Council staff estimate it will cost $3500 to $5000 to remove the paint from the bins.
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