Some residents living on a road in Pahoia are furious the Western Bay of Plenty District Council is changing their street numbers.
Residents on the Old Highway Road in Pahoia were told by the council about two months ago that their numbers would be changed.

Nigel McKillen is annoyed that his address is changing for the sake of four metres.

Nigel McKillen currently lives a 288 Old Highway and says the council told him his address would change to 284.
Steve Hill, group manager of customer and business services at Western Bay of Plenty District Council, says the changes are being carried out because the numbers on the road are out of sequence and emergency services find it difficult to locate addresses.
He can understand the frustration for residents but says the changes are necessary so emergency services can properly find homes on the road.
Address numbers in rural areas are allocated on a rapid numbering system, which is based on the distance from the start of the road.
Nigel says the council took a new measurement after the road was shortened and it was now 2.84km from the start of the road to his property instead of 2.88km.
'They are changing it for four metres. We have been 288 for 15 years. This house is one of the original houses on the road, so why should we change now.
Some twit at the council has decided they want to change the numbers so they can justify their job,” says Nigel.
He says the council is also charging residents a $10 fee for changing the numbers.
'We have so many people we know outside of New Zealand. We are going to have to make contact with all of them to say we've got a new address,” says Nigel.
Steve says the four metre difference identified by residents is not correct and believes the difference is 40 metres.
'It's going to be rolled out across other rural areas with similar problems but it's going to take years. We don't have the money and resources to change it all at once. It's quite a reasonably long process,” says Steve
John Budden lives at 257 Old Highway and says he arrived home on Monday to find the council had already changed the number on his letter box to 253 but says he immediately pulled it off.
'Changing the numbers for four meters is absolute nonsense. It's ridiculous. We have to redirect all our mail, change the registration details for our vehicles and we have to advise all our friends and family of our new address,” says John.
He says the council should have consulted residents of the change.
Steve says if residents choose not to adopt the new numbers, the council has enforcement options under a district bylaw.
'We can technically take someone to court but that's a last option. There are other options there as well,” says Steve.
He says another option includes sending a letter to residents which states the council absolves all responsibility if emergency services can't find their property.