A park by any other name

EFFORTS to find a new name for a park at Inverleigh have progressed with four options being put to the community to vote on.

The new choices include Leigh River Park, Inverleigh Community Park, Inverleigh Play Park and Yerram Yaluk Bun – which translates as bank of the morning river.

Located at the corner of East Street and the Hamilton Highway, the search for a permanent name for the park started after residents successful applied for a Pick My Project grant to build a playground at the site.

A subsequent community run process to find a name for the park offered up the suggestion Inverleigh River Park, however that was rejected by the State Government run organisation charged with officially designating and gazetting place names, Victorian Geographic Names Registrar.

In correspondence with Golden Plains Shire, a representative the State authority gave two reasons for the rejection. First the proposed name had two geographic locations, a “River” and “Park”, and that the name of the river is the Leigh, not Inverleigh.

Mayor Cr Helena Kirby hoped the community would be happy with one of the four alternatives.

“Council understands the Inverleigh community’s disappointment that its preferred name was rejected by the Victorian Geographic Names Registrar. Following the rejection, council worked with and supported the community to appeal against the decision, however, this was also unsuccessful,” she said.

Voting on the new name is now open and will run until 5pm on Friday, 29 January.

Votes can be cast online at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations or via hard copy ballot at the Shire’s customer service centres in Bannockburn or Smythesdale. Under Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s naming rules only one vote is allowed per household.

Cr Kirby encouraged people to take part in the process.

“The community is invited to vote on one of four new compliant names for the town’s newest play space,” she said.

“Council hopes local residents from the town and its surrounds will take up the opportunity to vote either online or by paper before 29 January, and I look forward to seeing which name the town selects.”