A naming proposal is developed for new places that the City own or manage. The City must follow the Naming Rules for Victoria when developing a proposed name.

When developing a naming proposal the principles within the Naming Rules must be followed.

The principles are:

• ensuring public safety
• recognising the public interest
• linking the name to place
• ensuring names are not duplicated
• recognition and use of Traditional Owner languages
• names must not discriminate or be offensive
• gender equality
• dual names
• using commemorative names
• using commercial and business names
• language
• directional name to be avoided
• Assigning extent to a road, feature or locality

The following video has been developed to outline the Place Naming process using Traditional Owner Language. Please note steps 2 to 4 are applied to all Place Naming projects regardless of the name.

Place Naming process using Traditional Owner language

The use of Traditional Owner Language in Place Naming

The following video has been developed to outline why the City uses Traditional Owner Language in Place Naming.

Why the City uses Traditional Owner Language in place naming

The intent of the submission process for unregistered place names is to alert the community that these places need to be registered. This will make sure the locations are easily identifiable when managing emergencies.

The names for these places will not changed as they are already accepted by the community.

How to make a submission of support or objection

Community members can provide submissions during the consultation process.  At a minimum submissions (including petitions and pro-forma documents) should explain:

• Your interest in the naming proposal – for example your address is affected or whether you have a personal link with the place and/or name, and
• Reasons for the name being appropriate/inappropriate, suitable/unsuitable, supported/unsupported, including how it does/does not comply with the Naming Rules (naming principles/process)

You can make a submission by selecting the relevant place list on the project page and completing the form.

Once the community consultation process closes, consideration is given to all submissions.

A Council Report is prepared with all the information. 

Community members who have made a submission will be advised of when the report will be tabled at Council.

Council will consider all the information and make a formal decision on the naming proposal. 

If the Council endorses the recommendation to adopt the name, a naming proposal will be prepared for Geographic Names Victoria. 

Community members who made a submission will be informed of the outcome and advised that a proposal will be submitted to Geographic Names Victoria. 

Geographic Names Victoria have their own process once a naming proposal is received.  If a community member objected to the Council process they can submit an appeal to the Geographic Names Victoria process.  Geographic Names Victoria will wait 30 days when receiving a naming proposal for any appeals.

The principle of Language under the Naming Rules recognises that Traditional Owner names will initially appear complex, however over time they will become familiar and easy to use.

This has been demonstrated with both Ulumbarra and Gurri Wanyarra, which are now widely accepted and used within the community.

The principle of public safety under the Naming Rules identifies the importance of protecting our communities and not putting the public and operational safety for emergency response at risk; or cause confusion for transport, community and mail services.

Registering sites is essential for managing emergencies and delivering goods and services within Victoria. By undertaking this Naming process, we will ensure that sites are registered with Geographic Names Victoria. Emergency response services uses VICNAMES to locate places in an emergency.

The street address is registered with the site name and Emergency services can search by either field.

The principle of Language under the Naming Rules identifies that it is preferable that names do not exceed three words and/or 25 characters. An exception to this is in the use of Traditional Owner languages.

It is recognised that the name might appear confusing to begin with, but over time it will become familiar and easy to use.

Principle K – The principle of Language under the naming rules identified that names need to be no more than 3 words and/or 25 characters with the exception of Traditional Owner Language.

Given the limitations to the length of the name that we can develop we need to find the best fit for purpose.

Representation of the broader use of places can be represented in other ways throughout the site eg., By-line on signage, images/description on promotional material, artwork throughout the site