Gisborne mayor Meng Foon predicts it'll be several months before the council will look at a school petition calling for Poverty Bay to be renamed.
Last month, Kaiti School delivered nearly 2000 signatures calling for the bay to be changed to Turanganui a Kiwa, as well the school marching to meet the local mayor.
Poverty Bay was named by British explorer Captain James Cook.
Gisborne mayor Meng Foon says the children of the school have done a fantastic job campaigning.
Mr Foon says the petition will be considered by the new council after the election on 12 October.
He says Christmas time will be a busy time, in which council committees will be set up and timetables developed.
Mr Foon predicts the new council is likely to look at the Poverty Bay name debate early next year.
Kaiti School says it's got the ball rolling, and the students have raised the question of the name.
It says it knows the matter won't be addressed in the next couple of weeks, but it says good things take time.
