Hill Road Precinct

The proposed names were prepared in accordance with Council's Road Naming Policy (no. 283) and the NSW Address Policy and User Manual (May 2021) developed by NSW Geographical Names Board (GNB).

The NSW Geographical Names Board policy ensures that road, street, lane and open space names are broadly acceptable to the community and meet current norms and standards.

The NSW Geographical Names Board encourages place names that reflect the heritage, cultures and identity of a site which makes the place distinctive and memorable for residents and the wider community. As per the NSW Geographical Names Board process, research has been undertaken to identify significant stories and histories of the area.

Ideas for the names were drawn from important bird species that thrive in the area and flora endemic to the nearby parklands and wetlands of Sydney Olympic Park.

In Stage 1, Council met the requirements of the NSW Geographical Names Board policy, providing residents, ratepayers, businesses and the general public the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed names. The two private roads, Lapwing Street and Wattlebird Road were later endorsed by Council on 14th September 2020. 

In Stage 2, Council will again follow this process. Preliminary consultation has occurred to ensure the proposed names meet the suitability requirements of the NSW Geographical Names Board, with Council now undertaking broader community consultation to seek feedback on the five new precinct names.

The NSW Geographical Names Board has a number of criteria and rules in place, which make it difficult for some name submissions to be effective. For example, name suggestions must be as site specific and contextually accurate as possible, not have duplicates within a 10km radius and must also meet emergency services, postal and navigation requirements.

The Geographical Names Board of NSW ‘NSW Address Policy and User Manual’ (May 2021) outlines the guidelines for naming roads. The guidelines can be accessed at www.gnb.nsw.gov.au. In summary, proposed names should be:

• Road names shall not be offensive, racist, derogatory or demeaning (refer to NSW Anti-Discrimination legislation). 
• Road names shall not be misspelt. In particular, the spelling of personal names shall be able to be validated by reference to primary sources. 
• Commercial and business names shall not be used, particularly where the name can be construed to be promoting the business. However, business names no longer in use and which promote the heritage of an area are acceptable. 
• Road types shall not be used in the formation of a road name, for example Promenade Road, Court Street etc. even if the road type is also a surname.
• Only one name shall be used for commemorative naming e.g. a given name or surname.

Council supports the recognition of Dharug, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage of Parramatta in place naming and has worked with Dharug traditional custodians to provide input into Stage 2 of the Hill Road Precinct. As a result, Guwali Street has been nominated as a preferred name for inclusion as part of Stage 2.

Acknowledging a local person through naming streets, roads, lanes and open spaces is not always possible due to the parameters set by the NSW Geographical Names Board. When seeking the use of a commemorative name, the following conditions as outlined in part 6.7.6 of the ‘NSW Address Policy and User Manual’ (May 2021) must be met:

• The names of people who are still alive shall not be used because community attitudes and opinions can change over time. It is not appropriate to use nicknames as an alternative to an official name for the purposes of road naming.
• The initials of a given name are not to be used in any instances. 
• It is a requirement that a person is to have been deceased for at least 12 months before an application to commemoratively name a road after them is deemed acceptable.

Council will review the community feedback and confirm the final selection before submitting to the NSW Geographical Names Board for consideration and endorsement.

The names endorsed during Stage 2 consultation will be placed on signs in the precinct and be made available on official maps once they have been endorsed. There may be delays to the installation of signage in light of the ongoing disruptions to the construction sector in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Map of endorsed and proposed names for new roads within the Hill Road Precinct.