REPORTS – Council Leadership

10 December 2012 Ordinary Council Meeting of Council

REPORT NO: LE505 (cont.)

Report No: LE505

REPORT TITLE: Proposals to Name Five Unnamed Right-of-Ways in Sunbury

SOURCE: Peter Faull, Coordinator Corporate Support

DIVISION: City Governance and Information

file nO: Various

POLICY: Place Names Policy

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: Accountable Leadership

Attachment: 1. Sunbury and District Heritage Association - Original Requests

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REPORTS – Council Leadership

10 December 2012 Ordinary Council Meeting of Council

REPORT NO: LE505 (cont.)

1.  Summary of Report:

1.1  Eight naming proposals have been received by Council under the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 (the Act) from the Sunbury and District Heritage Association. The proposals are for six unnamed right-of-ways (laneways) and two unnamed reserves in Sunbury. The original proposals are included as Attachment 1.

1.2  Under the Act, Council is responsible for the investigation and determination of place names, and the notification of new or altered names to the Registrar of Geographic Names (the Registrar) for inclusion in the Place Names Register.

1.3  It is recommended that five of the proposals received from the Sunbury and District Heritage Association proceed to public consultation.

1.4  The three remaining proposals are not recommended to proceed to public consultation. The reasons for this are provided in the report.

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REPORTS – Council Leadership

10 December 2012 Ordinary Council Meeting of Council

REPORT NO: LE505 (cont.)

2.  RECOMMENDATION:
2.1  THAT Council commences the process to undertake community consultation on the naming proposals received from the Sunbury and District Heritage Association for the following locations, all of which are unnamed right-of-ways (laneways):
2.1.1  The rear of 16-22 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed named Saddlers Lane)
2.1.2  The rear of 21-25 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed name Garage Lane)
2.1.3  The rear of 63-105 Evans Street, Sunbury (proposed name Saleyard Lane)
2.1.4  The rear of 52-58 Evans Street, Sunbury (proposed name Station Masters Lane)
2.1.5  The roadway leading to Sunbury Cemetery, off Shields Street, Sunbury (proposed name Cemetery Lane)
2.2  THAT Council writes to the Sunbury and District Heritage Association to advise them that:
2.2.1  Council will proceed to community consultation with five of their naming proposals.
2.2.2  The proposal for the rear of 11 – 15 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed name Rupertswood Lane) will not proceed because this name at this location could cause confusion or misunderstanding, as most local residents would associate the name with Rupertswood Mansion. The Association would be requested to provide alternative name suggestions for this right-of-way
2.2.3  The Reserve bordered by Harker, Jackson and Station Streets, Sunbury (proposed name Vicarage Hill Reserve) has been identified as Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) land managed under Committee of Management by Hume City Council, and that their naming proposal will be forwarded to DSE for their consideration.
2.2.4  Authority to name the reserve bordered by Sunbury Secondary College, the rail line and Racecourse Road, Sunbury (proposed name The Dell Reserve) is being clarified, and that Council will contact the Association again once the correct naming authority has been identified.

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REPORTS – Council Leadership

10 December 2012 Ordinary Council Meeting of Council

REPORT NO: LE505 (cont.)

3.  Legislative Powers:

The procedure to apply names to roads is prescribed in the Geographic Place Names Act 1998.

4.  Financial Implications:

4.1  Expenditure associated with the naming proposals will include administration costs and signage.

4.2  Both the costs of the administration and any signage will be funded from Council’s operational budget.

5.  ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

Environmental Sustainability has been considered and the recommendations of this report give no rise to any matters.

6.  CHARTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS APPLICATION:

The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibility has been considered and the recommendations of this report give no rise to any matters.

7.  Community Consultation:

7.1  In accordance with the Guidelines for Geographic Place Names 2010 Victoria (the Guidelines), and Council’s Place Names Policy, Council is required to consult with the community for naming proposals that it is considering approving. The method and extent of consultation is dependent on the significance of the proposal.

7.2  It is proposed to consult with both the immediate and wider Hume community. A mail-out would be sent to residents in the immediate vicinity of the right-of-ways concerned to ask for their feedback. Feedback from ratepayers and businesses from a wider area will be sought via notices in local papers and on Council’s website.

8.  Discussion:

8.1  The Sunbury and District Heritage Association provided the following background information in support of their proposals, which are recommended to proceed to public consultation:

8.1.1  The rear of 16 – 22 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed name Saddlers Lane):
Historically, saddlers and boot makers operated from this site from the 1890s to 1950s and horses played a major role in the town’s progress for recreation, transportation, farming and the Rupertswood Horse Battery. This right-of-way is currently unnamed.

8.1.2  The rear of 21 – 25 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed name Garage Lane): This site was occupied by a motor vehicle garage providing fuel and mechanical services to the people of the district from the 1920s until around 1968 when the site was redeveloped. This right-of-way is currently unnamed.

8.1.3  The rear of 63 – 105 Evans Street, Sunbury (proposed name Saleyard Lane): This site was occupied by saleyards located on the land adjoining the Royal Hotel for approximately 60 years. Auctioneers sold cattle, sheep and horses from the saleyards once a month, attracting many hundreds of visitors to the town including some arriving by train from Melbourne. The post and rail fence surrounding the site fell into disrepair in the late 1940s to early 1950s.This right-of-way is currently unnamed.

8.1.4  The rear of 52 – 58 Evans Street, Sunbury (proposed name Station Masters Lane): A new residence for the Station Master was built on this site around 1910 when the Sunbury railway station was relocated to Brook Street as part of the construction of the rail line from Melbourne to Echuca. Thousands of people were employed for this significant public works project, commencing in 1859, to construct rail bridges and buildings, excavate cuttings and form tracks. The Station Master’s residence was destroyed by fire in 2007. This right-of-way is currently unnamed.

8.1.5  The roadway leading to Sunbury Cemetery, off Shields Street, Sunbury (proposed name Cemetery Lane): Historically, this has been the long term name given to the roadway by local residents who also referred to ‘Cemetery Cottage’, a building which was located alongside the cemetery and demolished in the early 1960s. This right-of-way is currently unnamed.

8.2  The proposals received from the Sunbury District and Heritage Association that are not recommended to proceed to public consultation are:

8.2.1  The rear of 11 – 15 Brook Street, Sunbury (proposed name Rupertswood Lane): The location of this laneway is not near Rupertswood Mansion and a laneway with this name could cause confusion or misunderstanding, as most local residents would associate this name with the mansion. The Association would be requested to provide alternative name suggestions for this laneway.

8.2.2  The Reserve bordered by Harker, Jackson and Station Streets, Sunbury (proposed name Vicarage Hill Reserve): The reserve has been identified as Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) land managed under Committee of Management by Hume City Council. The naming proposal will be forwarded to DSE for their consideration.

8.2.3  The reserve bordered by Sunbury Secondary College, the rail line and Racecourse Road, Sunbury (proposed name The Dell Reserve): Clarity from DSE will be sought as to who has the authority to name this reserve. This is still unclear. If Council is the naming authority, it is also proposed that a request is made to the Association for more information on why the name has a historical link to the location before a final recommendation is made.

9.  Conclusion:

9.1  Council should determine to proceed to public consultation for the five unnamed right-of-ways as recommended

9.2  A map is provided showing the location of all eight proposals received from the Sunbury District and Heritage Association

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