Banks add Waikato-Tainui language option to ATMs

Two major banks say the move was an addition to standard Māori language option offering

Banks add Waikato-Tainui language option to ATMs

Te Reo Waikato language option is now available on automatic teller machines in the country

Westpac said 70,000 tribal members of Waikato-Tainui iwi will see their dialect introduced on more than 90% of the bank’s ATMs, and be available to all customers.

The te reo Māori option was proving to be popular, with customers choosing to use it on average 3300 times a month, Westpac NZ general manager of commercial, corporate and institutional banking Karen Silk said.

“Westpac is hugely supportive of the move to revitalise the Māori language and promote its use in everyday life,” Silk said.

 “We’re thrilled our ATM technology has allowed us to add more language options and that our partnership with Waikato-Tainui has presented the opportunity to begin adding specific regional dialects.”

ANZ has also launched the additional language option to its 650 ATMs throughout the country that also give users the choice of using te reo, the bank said.

“We hope this gives people another opportunity to use Te Reo in daily life,” ANZ managing director for retail and business baking Antonia Watson said.

“Maa te urunga o te reo o Waikato ki ngaa miihini tango moni e tautoko te whakamahinga o te reo i ia raa, i ia raa, i roto i te hapori, aa, maa reira e piki ai te mana o te reo,” (Normalising te reo through ATM interactions lifts the status and value of the language by bringing it into everyday use in our communities.) Waikato-Tainui Te Reo advisor Pānia Papa told Westpac.

“Ko te wawata hoki, kia whaaia teenei tauira e ngeetehi atu peeke me ngaa raatou kiritaki kia nui ake ai te koorerotia o te reo i ngaa mahi peeke.” (Hopefully this will prompt more banks and their customers to speak Māori more in their banking interactions.)

Westpac said, its customers can try out the new language option by selecting “language” and “reo Waikato” on ATMs.

The two majors said moves were part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori language week).

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