COUNCILLOR Les McPhee of Swan Hill Rural City Council successfully amended a motion at the Tuesday general meeting to prioritise the street names Abbey Avenue and Bronte Court to developers working on the Southview Development.
Abbey and Bronte are the late daughters of Gerard and Wendy Foott, with Mr Foott writing to enterprise assets manager Laura O’Dwyer requesting his daughters be honoured by having 70-89 Yana Street renamed to Abbey Bronte Court.
As per the Asset Naming Policy and Procedure section 5.2, ‘Names for Roads and Streets and New Subdivisions’, developers applying for subdivisions are encouraged to draw from the list of recommended names in the Asset Naming Master List, and can submit new names for consideration using the Asset Name Proposal form.
The Asset Naming Policy and Procedure also requires that asset naming proposals be publicly advertised and community comment invited, with Abbey Bronte Court and other naming proposals advertised through council’s Let’s Talk online feedback portal between November 8 and December 3, 2021.
In public feedback, Abbey Bronte Court was flagged by a submission as being “too long”, which could lead to incorrect mail addresses.
The submitter suggested the names Abbey and Bronte be separated, and Cr McPhee agreed.
“Could we name the streets opposite Abbey Avenue and Bronte Court?” he said.
“So it’s not too long and we can have those names side by side.
“Those two names specifically, if we look at the reasons given why they were included, I think it’s important that they be highlighted.”
In the applicant’s reasoning, the Footts said Abbey and Bronte had been part of a set of triplets, however unfortunately they passed away soon after birth.
“I’m concerned that if we leave the names together, they may not get anything, under the geographic naming conventions,” Cr McPhee said.
“In Abbey Avenue and Bronte Court they are side by side as streets, as they were together in their sadly short lives.
“Instead of Piper Avenue, name that Abbey Avenue, and swap Piper with Northgate – Piper can become Northgate.”
Cr McPhee moved that the original motion, to have the residential street names Abbey Bronte Court, Boscobel Drive, Burnside Way, Eringa Avenue, Northgate Street and Piper Avenue recommended to developers, instead be amended to have Bronte Court, Boscobel Drive, Burnside Way, Eringa Avenue, Abbey Avenue and Piper Avenue put forward.
Cr McPhee’s amendment was seconded by Cr Stuart King.
“I agree with Cr McPhee that it’s important those names (Abbey and Bronte) be recognised, and whilst Abbey Bronte Court may comply with convention, it is a bit a mouthful,” Cr King said.
“However the amendment recognises those names, so the integrity is not lost – and it may be easier for people navigating to that area to put the street names into their GPS rather than Abbey Bronte Court.”
The amended motion became the motion, and was passed unanimously, with Cr Nicole McKay speaking to the motion.
“I’d like to commend Cr McPhee and Cr King for the expertise and sensitivity in altering the motion, and I hope it’s acceptable for everyone involved,” she said.
The recommendation will now go to the developers to be approved.
