Council split over dual names to accommodate First Nation language

Millowl or Phillip Island? Bass Coast Shire Council was forced to call a break in last week’s council meeting to call for clarification on giving local places dual names.

The updated and compliant policy presented to council for the naming of local roads and landmarks hit a speed bump when former Mayor and Liberal candidate for the seat of Bass Cr Halstead questioned a clause which stated council had "no plans to proceed with dual naming at this stage.”

The updated framework aligns local naming practices with current Victorian legislation and passed community consultation with no proposed amendments.

However, harmony vanished when councillors openly questioned the place-naming policy when it came to dual names to accommodate First People language and correct current gender imbalance.

The debate exposed deep ideological rifts within the chamber. Cr Bauer opened the discussion by defending the region's historical record, reminding colleagues that local pioneers were predominantly white Anglo males.

Councillor Edwards also strongly opposed the policy, labelling the state directive as unequal. Edwards argued that by mandating an asymmetric target rather than an exact 50-50 split, the Victorian Government's Gender Equality Strategy actively promoted inequality rather than fairness.

Councillor Bell sharply rejected Edwards' logic arguing that a 70 per cent target was a necessary measure to redress a systemic historical wrong.

Bell noted that because early infrastructure almost exclusively honoured founding fathers the new quota acted as an essential corrective measure for women who have been severely underrepresented on public maps.

Cr Bell highlighted the positive local precedent of naming the new Wonthaggi netball pavilion after a local female superstar, clearly demonstrating how targeted policy can successfully elevate women's achievements.

Councillors asked for clarification that the dual naming process would actively combine First Nations language with traditional English names to better reflect shared history.

The tension peaked when Cr Halstead proposed a surprise amendment regarding the dual naming policy requesting the removal of the clause stating that council had no plans to proceed with dual naming at this stage.

The unexpected motion disrupted proceedings to such an extent that a brief recess was called by Mayor Tessari to halt the meeting and restore order.

Following a short interruption to the live online broadcast the Mayor reconvened the chamber and deferred to a council officer who explained that while the current report noted dual naming was not actively being pursued the policy scheduled for adoption did not legally prevent it.

Satisfied with the updated administrative advice Cr Halstead formally withdrew the amendment and apologised to the chamber for the sudden disruption, expressing relief that dual naming remained a future possibility.

Mayor Tessari then steadied the meeting by transitioning back to standard debate and offering the floor for closing replies before moving to a final vote on the policy.

During the council debate Cr Morgan strongly defended the initiative against claims of inequality. He dismissed concerns over a shortage of naming opportunities, arguing that councils frequently relied on repetitive coastal themes like "surf" or "beach."

Cr Morgan also noted that ongoing gender inequalities and misogyny continued to put women at higher risk. Furthermore he stated that the community should prioritise telling the stories of the Bunurong and Gunaikurnai traditional owners.

The recommendation to adopt the policy was carried successfully.