‘What do you think of council’s new place naming policy?’

Debate has raged recently over Baw Baw Shire's new policy placing a gender quota on public place naming.

Council will be aiming for a 70 per cent of all new names to be female in an attempt to achieve a better balance overall between female and male place names.

The policy split council and an attempt to strike it down was lost last week when councillors voted against a rescission motion to reject the policy as previously endorsed.

This week the Gazette took to the streets of Warragul to ask people what they thought of the naming policy.

Keith Lovell

Warragul

Keith said he was “very disappointed” that the policy was even necessary and that the thought behind the policy was important.

Graeme Gannon

Warragul

Graeme said he was all for gender equality but wondered whether there might be a more appropriate means of achieving it.

Kerrie Breen with Pryce Trafalgar

Kerrie described the policy as “a bit funny” and said she would rather new place names be indigenous names or of people who contributed to the local community.

Pamela Gannon Warragul

Pamela believed that place and street names should represent history, and that we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss that.

Alison Sledge Warragul

Alison said she didn't really care if place names were male or female and added that she'd rather they be historical names.

Trish Lovell

Warragul

Trish said she thinks the quota is reasonable. “We have a lot of catching up to do,” she said.

Karen McCarthy with Eryn and Alfie the dog

Warragul

Karen said female representation was important, but was concerned that all the new female place names might be too centralised in new estates and would like to see them dispersed evenly.