Page 5009 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 28 November 2018
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know the horrific stories of William Slim’s character, this road serves as a daily reminder. Several more place names across the ACT have similarly difficult histories. I have no doubt that members in this Assembly each have some in mind, and I know from the constituent engagement Ms Cody has had on this issue that members of the community also have several examples of their own.
Reviewing the place names as outlined in the motion will be an important step forward in acknowledging and reconciling some of the more difficult parts of our shared history so that the pain of those who have suffered is not carried forward into our future. I commend Ms Cody’s motion and I look forward to the findings of a review into ACT place names as outlined in the motion.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (5.23): Place naming plays an important role in the identity of our city and the commemoration of those people and parts of our society that have made significant contributions to the development of Canberra and the Australian nation. It is worth noting that in September this year it was the 90th anniversary of the first commonwealth gazette published to explain the origin and significance of names determined by the Federal Capital Commission for our national capital.
The 1928 gazette commemorated names of people considered to have contributed to the growth of Canberra, and Australia as a nation, as well as words from Aboriginal languages and local words of Aboriginal origin identified as having a long association with the area. Place naming in the ACT is now supported by the Place Names Act 1989 and the non-statutory ACT Place Names Committee.
The first ACT Place Names Committee was established in 1999. The Assembly may be aware that the committee is a voluntary advisory committee appointed by me for a three-year term. The committee provides expert advice about the naming of divisions and public places, including geographic names and opportunities to commemorate the names of eminent Australians.
The committee reviews draft naming proposals to consider any sensitivities and provides guidance to the place names unit within the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate. I acknowledge the important work done by members of the ACT Place Names Committee past and present in providing their expertise as a service to the community.
The Public Place Names Act provides a number of categories to which the minister must have regard when considering the naming of a public place. These include the names of famous persons in the history of Australia as a nation, the names of Australian flora, the names of things characteristic to Australia, and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander vocabulary.
The Public Place Names Act also allows for the minister to establish guidelines for the naming of public places, and I determined the most recent guidelines in 2014. The guidelines for the naming of public places provide direction to the Place Names
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