CORPORATIONS are banned from having Brimbank streets and public buildings named after them.
The ban forms part of Brimbank City Council’s new place naming policy, approved unanimously last week.
The new policy covers the naming of suburbs, localities, parks, streets, waterways and building in the municipality.
In selecting names, the council will seek to:
PRESERVE the heritage and identity of Brimbank suburbs.
MAINTAIN historical, commemorative or Aboriginal names.
RECOGNISE prior users of land and the people associated with it.
RECOGNISE existing unofficial names.
ENSURE street names are simple and easily understood.
The policy said council should prefer adopting indigenous names for unnamed features, subject to approval from the Aboriginal community.
The policy bans the adoption of corporate names or the names of living people.
But special consideration will be given to living people who are no longer active in the community.
The policy also states suburban boundaries should not be changed for private benefit.
Brimbank councillor Sam David said he supported the naming policy but felt that living people should be more readily honoured.
“I see nothing inappropriate with naming anything after a living person so long as they are no longer in the limelight,” Cr David said.
He said the honour naming a street or public place was greater if the person was still alive to witness it.
A land developer recently suggested naming a street after Cr David, who has since declined the offer.
Since 2001, only one street was named after a business – Midway Lane in Sunshine North.
The street was name after Midway Concrete, which has operated from an unnamed street for 30 years.
