In Victoria, local council’s manage road and place naming under the state-wide statutory Naming Rules. This ensures consistency for emergency services and public safety, with names often reflecting local history, Aboriginal culture or themes, and developers submitting proposals before development.
The naming or renaming process provides Council with the opportunity to recognise the local history, culture and identity of the area. It also enables us to clearly identify and locate our places, features, localities and roads across the municipality.
Key Principles and Requirements
- Statutory rules: Councils must follow the mandatory "Naming rules for places in Victoria" under the Geographic Place Names Act 1998.
- Public safety: Clear names and numbers are crucial for emergency services (police, fire, ambulance) to locate properties quickly.
- Relevance: Names should connect to the local area, history, Aboriginal heritage, flora/fauna, or cultural diversity.
- No duplication: Names must not be the same or similar within specific proximity (example: 5 kilometre radius).
- Community involvement: All proposals will be required to undergo community consultation.
Process
- Proposal: Members of the public, developers or Council can initiate a proposal.
- Council assessment and community consultation: The council assesses the proposal against the state Naming Rules ensuring its justification. Once justified council will seek community feedback on the proposal to consider public support/objections.
- Council approval: Council formally approves the Name and makes a submission to Geographic Names Victoria (GNV).
- Submission to GNV: The approved name is sent to GNV for review.
- Final approval: GNV grants final approval, ensuring compliance with the Naming Rules.
- Gazettal and update: If approval is granted by GNV, the name is published in the Government Gazette and details are updated in the VICNAMES and Vicmap (the state’s spatial database) and key stakeholders notified.
Key Naming Rules and Considerations
- Relevance: Names should ideally relate to local history, Aboriginal culture, flora/fauna, significant local people/events, or land use.
- Uniqueness: Avoid names that duplicate or sound similar to existing names within a certain radius (example: 5 kilometre in metro areas).
- Non-Discriminatory: Names must not be offensive or discriminatory.
- Simplicity: Names should generally be simple, phonetic, and avoid complexity.
- Commercial names: Avoid using commercial or business names.
- Theming: Developers are encouraged to consider naming themes for new developments.
Request a name for consideration
You can request a place or road be named or renamed by contacting Council at:
Email: Council@cgd.vic.gov.au
or
By Post:
Greater Dandenong City Council
Governance
PO Box 200
Dandenong, VIC 3175
All requests must be in writing and include:
- Background information and the reason for the proposal
- Contact details of the proposer(s), and information concerning support from members or groups of the community
Street Numbering
Council allocates all street numbers in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS4819) Geographic Information – Rural and Urban Addressing.
Contact Council
Before submitting a request, you can speak with Governance on 8571 5100 to discuss your naming proposal.