Thank you for your interest in naming trail segments. This has now closed.
Submissions
Names will be selected using the following criteria:
- Compliance with the State Government naming principles is required (see the Trails naming principles tab to the right).
- Relevance to the local area strongly preferred (flora, fauna, terrain, history, cultural heritage).
- Names should have broad, recognisable appeal.
- Diversity, equity and inclusion. This includes giving equal opportunity to all members of the community to have trails named from their submissions.
Commemorative names (names for individuals or families) will be considered, but are not preferred. All commemorative names must comply with the State Government naming principles.
All trails will be named in the following format – 1 (number) Word Name. The number will be unique to each of the trails to make reference clear and easy. The word name is the subject of this engagement.
Trails Naming Principles
- Ensuring public safety. Names must not put public and operational safety for emergency response at risk or cause confusion for transport, communication or mail services. For example: Names must make sense for the local community as well as visitors.
- Recognising the public interest. To preserve our cultural heritage, names should be enduring contributing long term benefits to the community, businesses and visitors. For example: Names should not reference a new or passing trend as they should be easily recognisable as time passes.
- Linking the name to the place. Names should have a link to the place to ensure the preservation of our cultural heritage. Names should be relevant to the local area with preference given to names already in use by the local community. For example: Names can reference local plants and animals; local geography/geology; past exploration; significant local events; patterns of usage (farming, mining) or the cultural diversity of past and current inhabitants.
- Ensuring names are not duplicated. Names must not duplicate another name within a locality or nearby area (30 kilometre radius).
- Recognition and use of Traditional Owner languages. Traditional Owner languages are often based on location; languages deeply rooted to the land and offer an ideal opportunity to connect a name to a place.
- Names must not discriminate or be offensive. Place names must not discriminate or cause offence.
- Gender equality. Gender equality in naming is encouraged. A maximum of 30% of commemorative names should be for males.
- Dual Names. Dual names may only be assigned to geographic features.
- Using commemorative names. Naming can commemorate an event, person or place. When considering a commemorative name, keep the following in mind:
- If named after a person, that person should be or have been held in strong regard by the community. Example: A family that has been associated with an area for at least 25 years.
- Consent will be sought from surviving family members.
- Names of people who are alive must be avoided because community attitudes and opinions can change over time.
- Commemorative names of a deceased person should be applied no less than two years posthumously.
- A commemorative name applied to a locality or road may use the last or first name of a person, though the last name is preferred.
- A commemorative names applied to a feature can use the first and last name of a person, though it is preferred that only one name be used.
- The initials of a given name must not be used in any instance.
- Using commercial and business names. Similar to commemorative names, names should not be:
- Commercial businesses
- Trade names
- Estate names
- Not for profit organisations.
- Language. The use of names from Australian English, Traditional Owner name and names from other languages need to be given careful consideration. Keep the following points in mind:
- Names must be written in standard Australian English or a recognised format of a Traditional Owner language local to the area.
- Names should be easy to pronounce, spell and write, and preferably not exceed three words. An exception to this is in the use of Traditional Owner languages, when it is accepted that Traditional Owner names that initially appear complex will, over time, become familiar and easy to use.
- Names taken from a language other than English may be acceptable and represent Victoria’s diverse multicultural society but must be written in Australian English.
- ‘The’ is not a suitable prefix in naming of any road, feature or locality and must not be used. For example: The Avenue is not acceptable.
- Although discouraged, hyphens can be used within place names that indicate the extent of the feature, for instance Mellick-Munjie Parish or Kingsford-Smith Reserve.
- Punctuation marks such as commas and full stops are not allowed.
- An apostrophe must be deleted from geographic names written with a final ’s and the possessive ’s should not be included. For example, Wilsons Promontory (not Wilson’s Promontory).
- Abbreviations are not allowed.
- A name cannot be a numeric value either in full alphabetised or numeric format. For example: 1st Street; 101 Road; Fourth Road; 5th Avenue; 9 Mile Creek; One Tree Hill and Nine Mile Creek are all unacceptable.
- Directional names should be avoided. Cardinal directions (north, south, east and west) must be avoided.
- Reflective of Hepburn Together priorities.
For more information, please refer to the document Naming rules for places in Victoria: Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities – 2022 published by Victoria State Government and available freely online at https://www.land.vic.gov.au/place-naming/understand-the-naming-process/the-naming-rules
Council is committed to protecting your privacy. The personal information requested on this form is being collected for the purpose obtaining suggested trail names. It will not be disclosed to any other external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law. If you wish to alter any of the personal information you have supplied to please contact Council via telephone (03) 5321 2306 or email governance@hepburn.vic.gov.au.
More information is available on our website or from Council’s Privacy Officer (Manager Governance and Risk).
Thank you for your interest.
