Promoting language through another artform is the basis or kaupapa behind new giant murals bordering a local golf course.

Three billboards, each about 12 metres long and previously tagged with graffiti, have received a makeover from three local artists, coinciding with Māori Language Week, from September 12-19.

Māori Language Day on September 14 commemorates the presentation of the 1972 Māori Language Petition - te Petihana Reo Māori - to Parliament.

This year is extra special with September 14 marking the 50th anniversary of the petition – an event that led to many of the kaupapa we have today, including Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which is Māori Language Week.

Te Tuinga Whanau chief imagination officer Tommy Wilson noted the billboards while he was playing golf at Tauranga Golf Club.

'Golfers kept having to look at profanity and graffiti on the billboards by the fence,” says Tommy.

'Tagging was always all over them.”

Tommy says the best way to get rid of tagging is to do street art. Following a discussion with Tauranga Golf Club, he brought in three street artists Tautoko Matehaere, Te Arahi Wilson and Jonas Rolleston to transform the billboards.

'We've used golfing words in the murals. We've taken the word ‘golf' and translated that into Māori – ‘korowha'. And ‘birdie' is ‘manu' and ‘eagle' is ‘ekara'. So now hundreds of golfers every week know three words in Māori they may not have known before.”

Tautoko, aged 27, says he's been into art since he can remember, and got into graffiti at age 12.

'Jane Denton, who was the council graffiti prevention officer, contacted us through a Hip Hop youth programme I was involved in; from age 13-16 I did commission work for Tauranga City Council,” says Tautoko.

After finishing college he studied for a while towards a Bachelor of Creative Industries, before going on to work for paint shops and as a painter. Two years ago he decided to become a full-time artist.

'I've known Tommy Wilson at Te Tuinga Whanau for years. About a year ago they got me to help paint the Taratoa wall in Greerton; then they approached me with a plan to cover local stories,” says Tautoko.

He's painted four walls in the last four months near the Te Tuinga Whanau headquarters on The Strand and now has more projects coming up with TCC.

Tommy says the golfing murals have been a wonderful collaboration between the golf club, the street artists and Te Tuinga Whanau.

'What has followed on from this success story is how TCC is engaging with the artists to do more murals around town,” says Tommy.

'They are hugely talented and we are keen to continue to work with them,” says TCC art and culture manager James Wilson. 'The new public art framework adopted by council last month is enabling us to encourage local artists who are able to weave local narratives into artworks.”