By Cameron Weston
WHEN Hobsons Bay residents mark the achievements of departed pillars of the community with a memorial plaque, they like to do it with bay views.
The Strand in Williamstown is the most sought after place for a memorial plaque in Hobsons Bay, a trend Hobsons Bay City Council is trying to reverse.
The council has recently undertaken a policy review on memorial plaques in the municipality and is steering people away from the Williamstown foreshore, towards some of the other picturesque parks and reserves on offer.
Fearon Reserve, Dennis Reserve and Jawbone Reserve in particular have been named as preferred locations.
Hobsons Bay mayor Carl Marsich said the council wanted to encourage people to think about requesting a plaque in places other than Will-iamstown.
“We’re trying to get the plaques circulated around the city a bit. Ideally, we’d like to see things like this in Altona and other areas,” he said.
“We’re trying to get people to at least think about other areas. There are a whole range of suitable places for this type of thing.”
The council has also established a requirement that all applications be considered by councillors at a briefing session and reduced the size of plaques to make them “less visually intrusive”.
The council last reviewed its policy on memorial plaques in 2002, after concerns about the large number being requested and installed in the municipality.
The council adopted specific selection criteria for families seeking a plaque to include those who had made a “significant contribution to the community”.
This would include contribution in fields like community service, business, sport, volunteerism, fund raising or charitable activities or “any other contribution deemed appropriate” by the council.
The Strand in Williamstown currently has 13 memorial plaques.
