PlaceNamingPolicy
REMREFERENCEA5779353
POLICYTYPECouncil:adoptedbyCouncilresolution
APPROVAL Council
DATEADOPTED1June2026
DIRECTORATECustomerandCorporate
POLICYOWNERManagerGovernance
NEXTREVIEW30June2030
REVISIONRECORDVERSIONREVISIONDESCRIPTION
18September20061.0Initialpolicycreated. 23September20192.0ReviewedSeptember2019. 1June20263.0Revisedandupdatedtoalignwithlegislativeand internalpolicies.
1.Purpose
ThepurposeofthisPlaceNamingPolicy(Policy)istoprovideaclear,consistentand inclusiveframeworkforthenamingofroads,localitiesandfeatures.
ThisPolicyensuresthatCouncilremainscompliantwiththeGeographicPlaceNamesAct 1998andtheNamingRulesforPlacesinVictoria2022(NamingRules).
2.Scope
ThisPolicyappliestoCouncil,Councilofficersandmembersofthepublicseekingto proposeanewnameorrenameanexistingfeature,roadorlocalitywithinFrankstonCity Council.
ThisPolicyrelatestoallpubliclyownedfeatures,localitiesandpublicroadswithinthe Frankstonmunicipality,whereCouncilisthenamingauthority.
ThisPolicydoesnotapplytospecificexemptions,whicharedetailedbelow:
PlacesthatareoutsideofCouncil’smunicipalboundaryorarenotlegislatively requiredtobenamedbyCouncil
Electoralregions,districtsorwards
Privateproperty
Geographicplacesofregional,stateornationalsignificance(includingwaterways)
Placesforcommercialpurposes
StreetNumbering
NamingwhereCouncilofficershavedelegatedapprovalpowers Placenamingrequeststhatareconsideredurgentduetopublicsafetyimplications
3.GovernancePrinciplesandCouncilPlanAlignment
3.1.GovernancePrinciples
Principle(a)Councildecisionsaretobemadeandactionstakeninaccordancewith therelevantlaw;
Principle(i)thetransparencyofCouncildecisions,actionsandinformationistobe ensured.
3.2.CouncilPlanAlignment
StrategicObjective4.2:ProvidegoodgovernanceandensureCouncillorsare demonstratingtothecommunitythehigheststandardsofintegrity,transparency, respectandaccountability.
4.Policy
4.1.Overview
ThisPolicyoutlinestheprocessofmakinganamingproposal.Councilisresponsible forgeographicplacenameswithinFrankstonandprocessingofnamingproposals.
Inconsideringnamingproposals,Councilisrequiredtocomplywiththeprinciples associatedwiththeNamingRules,Councilcanapplyanyadditionalprinciplesto reflectCouncil’sstrategicdirectionorpriorities.Councilhasappliedadditionalnaming principles,thathavebeenoutlinedwithinSection4.2ofthisPolicy.
4.2.AdditionalPrinciples
InadditiontotheprinciplessetoutintheNamingRules,Councilhasestablished furtherprinciplestostrengthenalignmentwithitsReconciliationActionPlan,Gender EqualityActionPlanandtheGenderandEqualityAct2020.Theseadditional principlesareoutlinedbelow.
IndigenousAustralia
Genderequality
CommemorativenamesandMulticulturalrecognition
4.2.1.RecognitionandinclusionofIndigenousAustralia
VictoriahasarichAboriginalhistoryrepresentingthediversityofculturalheritageand deepconnectiontothelandandoffersanidealopportunitytoconnectlanguageto place.CounciliscommittedtocontinueworkingwithourAboriginalandTorresStrait Islanderpeopleandcontinueourreconciliationjourney.
Indigenousnamesareencouragedandpreferred,inlinewithGovernmentpolicies, Councilwillprioritisenamingproposalswhichrequesttheuseofindigenousnames.
IfanAboriginalorindigenousnameisbeingproposed,Councilmustengagewithlocal indigenouscommunitygroupsortheBunurongLandCouncilAboriginalCorporation (BLCAC)forapprovaltousethenamepriortocommunityconsultationandin conjunctionwiththeinitialassessment.
4.2.2.GenderEqualityandDiversityNaming
ToensurethatthereisbalancedrepresentationofnamingacrossCouncilisin alignmentwiththeGenderEqualityAct2020andGenderEqualityActionPlan,Council
iscommittedtopromotingandachievinggenderequality.Thisincludespromoting namingproposalsthatacknowledgesignificantwomenandgenderdiversepeople.
4.2.3.CommemorativeNamesandMulticulturalrecognition
CommemorativenamescanbesubmittedtoCounciltorecogniseanindividual’s significantcontributiontothemunicipality.Acommemorativenamemustmeetthe criteriaoutlinedbelow.
Individualmustbedeceasedforaminimumoftwo(2)years
Evidenceofconsentorattemptedconsultationwithfamilymemberstousethe individual’sname
Evidenceoftheindividual’scommunityimpactwithinFrankstonCityCounciland lettersofsupportfromthecommunitymustbeprovided Thereisnoevidenceoftheindividualinvolvedinanyoffensiveorcriminalconduct Itispreferredthatonlyonenameissubmitted
4.3.NamingProposals
AnamingproposalcanbeinitiatedbyCouncilorbymembersofthepublic,including:
IndividualsorCommunitygroups
Emergencymanagement
PublicServicesproviders
Governmentdepartmentsorauthorities
Thispolicyoutlinestheprocessandrequirementsforsubmittinganamingproposal throughtoitsimplementation.Figure1belowprovidesavisualrepresentationofthe phasesofthisPolicyandanamingrequest.
4.3.1.SubmittingaNamingProposal
Proposalsmaybereceivedfromthecommunity,orCouncilmayinitiateitsown namingproposal,withconsiderationofcommunityinterestsandwillbe consideredinaccordancewiththisPolicy.
Anamingproposalshouldincludetheinformationprovidedbelowpriortoofficer assessment.
Contactdetails(email/phone)oftheindividualsubmittingtheproposal
Theproposednameofthefeature,roadorlocalityandthecurrentname(if relevantorexists)
Thelocationoftheroad,featureorlocality(includingmaplocation,if possible)
Backgroundinformationontherationaleforchangingthenameorboundary Evidenceorreasonastowhythecurrentnameisnotconsidered appropriateoranyotherrelevantinformation
Astatementthatoutlinestheproposaliscompliantwiththerelevant principlesoftheNamingRules(referNamingRuleschecklistlink)
ThenamingproposalmustbesubmittedinwritingtotheGovernance Departmentbyemailtoinfo@frankston.vic.gov.auorhardcopiescanbe providedtotheFrankstonCivicCentrelocatedat30DaveyStreet,Frankston.
4.3.2.AssessmentandReviewofProposals
TheGovernanceDepartmentwillreviewandassessallnamingproposals receivedandwilldetermineiftheproposaliscompliantwithintheparametersof thisPolicy,inalignmentwiththeNamingRules2022andCouncil’sstrategic directionand/orbudget.
Councilencouragesnamesthatactasareminderoflocalhistory,cultureand citizens,whilstbeingmindfulofneedingtoachieveabalancedrepresentation of:
IndigenousAustralia(referto4.2.3)
Genderequality(Referto4.2.3)
Localhistoricaleventsorfigures
Amulticulturalpresent
Victoriahasadiversemulticulturalcommunity.Itisencouragedtoreflect multiculturalhistoryinalignmentwiththenamingrules.Multiculturalnames mustmeetthecriteriaoutlinedbelow.
IfthenameistakenfromalanguageotherthanEnglish,itmustbe writteninAustralianEnglish
Evidenceofhistoricalandculturalsignificance
Evidenceofcommunitysupport
AnassessmenttoolhasbeenprovidedinAppendix1.Officerswillusethistool todetermineiftheproposalcanproceedtoCouncilforconsiderationto communityconsultation,finalCouncilendorsementandformalsubmissionto GeographicNamesVictoria.
4.3.3.CommunityConsultation
Counciliscommittedtotransparencyandconsideringtheperspectiveofthe communityintheplacenamingprocess.Followingtheinitialassessmentofthe namingproposal,Councilmayconsidertheappropriateengagementstrategyin compliancewiththeNamingRulesandCouncil’sCommunityEngagement Policy.ACouncilresolutionmayberequiredtoconductcommunityconsultation onanynamingproposal.
Communityconsultationwilloccuroveraminimum30-dayperiod.Any feedbackreceivedwillbeconsideredandreportedonfordecisionataCouncil Meeting.
4.4.CouncilDecision,GeographicNamesVictoriaDecisionandNotification
AreportwillbepresentedtoCouncilprovidingarecommendationonthenaming proposalandthefeedbackreceivedfromcommunityconsultation.AstheNaming Authority,Councilcanresolvetoapproveorrejectanynamingproposal(referto Section4.5).
FollowingCouncilapproval,thenamingproposalanddecisionwillbesubmittedtothe RegistrarofGeographicNamesVictoria(GNV)forformalapproval,gazettaland inclusionintheRegisterofGeographicNames.GNVhastheauthoritytorejectany proposalthatitdeterminesdoesnotcomplywiththeNamingRules2022. GNVwillallowforobjectionstobereceivedontheproposalpriortoformalapproval gazettalandregistration.Furtherinformationonthisprocesscanbefoundthroughthe GNVwebsite
FollowingtheGNVprocess,Councilwillnotifythecommunityoftheoutcomeofthe namingproposal,throughtheEngageFrankstonPlatform.
4.5.RejectedProposals
Councilmayrejectnamingproposalsonanyofthefollowingprinciples.
TheproposalwouldviolatetheNamingRules2022orthisPolicy
Thesubmissiondoesnotincludealltherequirementsasoutlinedinsection4.3.1of thisPolicy
Theproposednameistrivialormaycauseoffence
Theproposednamemaybeincontentionwiththeadditionalprinciplesoutlinedin Section4.2ofthisPolicy
Patternsubmissions,repeatedsubmissionsorunreasonablesubmissions
Doesnotpasstheofficerassessment(Appendix1)
Thesubmitteroftheproposalisnon-responsiveordoesnotaddressorrectify requestedchangestotheproposalwithin30days.
Councilwillmaintainarecordofnamingproposalssubmitted,includingnamesthat wererejectedbutarecompliantwiththeNamingRules.Thesenamesmaybe consideredforfuturenamingopportunitiesacrossFrankstonmunicipality.Thisrecord willbeknownastheNameBankRegisterandwillbemaintainedbytheGovernance Department.
5.RolesandResponsibilities
RoleResponsibility
CouncillorsAsthenamingauthorityforthemunicipality,Councillorsare responsiblefor:
Reviewingandendorsingnamingproposalstoproceedto communityconsultation consideringcommunityconsultationresultsonnaming proposals;and EndorsingtheproposednametobesubmittedtoGNV.
ManagerGovernanceResponsiblefor:
EnsuringacopyofthispolicyandtheNameBankregisteris availableonCouncil’swebsiteoravailableforpublicinspection whenrequested
Providingoversightandadviceontheimplementationofthe Policy
Reviewingthispolicy
Governance Department
Responsiblefor:
MaintainingtheNameBankRegister Assessmentanddeliveringofthenamingprocess
EnsuringcompliancewiththeNamingRules
MakingsubmissionstoGNVonbehalfofCouncil Community Engagementand ParticipationTeam
Responsiblefortheimplementationandpreparationofthe communityengagementplan.
6.Policynon-compliance
FailuretocomplywiththisPolicywillbeconsideredabreachofstatutoryobligationsandState Governmentregulations.
7.Definitions
TermDefinition
Feature isconsideredtobeauniquegeographicalplaceorattributethatis easilydistinguishedwithinthelandscape(mountains,watercourses, buildings,structures,parksandreserves).
FurtherdefinitionscanbeidentifiedthroughtheGNVFeature Catalogueavailableontheirwebsite
Locality meansisageographicalareathathasidentifiablecommunityand/or landscapecharacteristics.Inurbanareas,alocalityiscommonly referredtoasa‘suburb’.
Road isconsideredtobeanypublicorprivateland-basedthoroughfareor coursenavigablebyvehicleorfoot.
GeographicNames Victoria(GNV) meansGeographicNamesVictoria(GNV)overseesthenamingand registrationof: roads features,and localitiesinVictoria.
NamingAuthoritymeansmunicipalCouncils,governmentdepartmentsorauthorities andprivateorganisations.
GeographicPlacemeans,bylaw,tocoverfeatures,localitiesandroads.
Council meansFrankstonCityCouncil.
NameBank Register meanstheregisterwhereCouncilwillmaintainandcollateunused namesforfutureprojects.
8.Relateddocuments
8.1.Legislation
LocalGovernmentAct2020
GeographicPlaceNamesAct1998
GenderEqualityAct2020
NamingRulesforPlacesinVictoria2022
8.2.Documentsandresources
VictoriaFeatureCatalogue
ReconciliationActionPlan
GenderEqualityActionPlan
CommunityEngagementPolicy
PolicyandProtocolFramework
NamingProposalAssessmentCriteria
AssessmentsrelatingtothisPolicy
oGenderImpactAssessmentforNamingofPlacesPolicy
oPrivacyImpactAssessmentforNamingofPlacesPolicy
oHumanRightsCharterAssessmentforNamingofPlacesPolicy
9.ImplementationofthePolicy
ThisPolicywillbepublishedonCouncil’swebsiteandintranetandwillbereviewedeveryfour (4)years.