Community asked for views on naming of Central Reserve precinct

Published on 26 November 2018

Community asked for views on naming of Central Reserve precinct 

Colac Otway Shire residents are being encouraged to have their say on the name of Colac’s Central Reserve precinct and facilities with the launch of a community survey this week.

Shire Mayor Jason Schram said Council decided in September that in response to community interest in renaming Central Reserve and possible naming rights, it was important to ask the community about the reserve’s name and what people think about the naming of new or existing buildings at the reserve precinct.

“It’s a two-stage process; first we are going to the community so we understand people’s views and if people want to rename the precinct or facilities, then we look at naming options in consultation with the community,” Cr Schram said.

“Central Reserve is a significant community asset and Council is keen to find out if people support changing the name, and if so, should a new name recognise, for example, our Indigenous or European heritage, a prominent sporting administrator or a high-achieving sportsperson,” he said.

“The survey also asks people whether they agree with the offering of temporary naming rights of Central Reserve or parts of it, to create a revenue opportunity for either Council or user groups.”

The online survey will be on Council’s website for the next six weeks and the views of community will be considered early next year.

“If the community does support a name change or naming of buildings, Council will look at possibly setting up a Community Reference Group to consider opportunities in more detail,” Cr Schram said.

“But the first step is finding out if the community wants naming or renaming at Colac’s premier sporting facility.”

People can find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/centralreserve