Anyone can suggest a local name if it’s respectful, locally connected, and follows Victoria’s naming rules.

Yes, during the 30-day consultation. Objections must show how the proposal breaks the naming rules.

If an existing name road, feature of locality is considered to be derogatory or patently offensive, please get in touch with the Naming Officer for advice on whether a naming proposal can be done to rename it.

Objections are made during the consultation period. After Council has made a decision, appeals must be lodged directly with Geographic Names Victoria. Click here to find out more.

Usually not. Commemorative names normally honour people who have passed away. This is because public perception can change over time after a person. In exceptional circumstances, the Naming Officer can apply to the Registrar of Geographic Names Victoria for an exemption to name a road, locality or feature after a living person. Exemptions are very rarely granted.

Yes, with Traditional Owner consultation to ensure meaning, spelling and permission are correct. The use of Traditional owner languages in the naming of roads, features and localities is encouraged.

Names must have a local link, be clear, easy to say and spell, and not duplicate others nearby.

VICNAMES is the official register of geographic names in Victoria. It includes over 200,000 road names and 45,000 place names. You can search it, contribute historical information, or check for duplicate names.

If Council has adopted a name and it has been lodged with Geographic Names Victoria, any formal appeals must be made directly to Geographic Names Victoria -not to Council. Appeals are limited to specific grounds under the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria (2022).

Click here to find out more.

Yes. Reserve names must follow the Victorian Naming Rules, just like roads and other public places.

An official name helps people clearly identify and locate a park, including residents, visitors and emergency services. It improves wayfinding and mapping, reduces confusion with nearby places, and ensures the name is used consistently across systems.

Naming also creates an opportunity to recognise local history, culture and community identity.

Google Maps includes user-generated content, which means names can sometimes be added or edited by the public. This can result in informal, outdated or incorrect names appearing, even if they are not officially recognised.

Only names that have been formally approved and gazetted are considered official. These are the names used across Council systems, emergency services and mapping platforms.

If you notice an incorrect name on Google Maps, you can suggest an edit directly through the platform. Council can also investigate and work with relevant agencies to update official records where needed.

Reserves created through new subdivisions follow a slightly different process.

As these spaces will become Council-owned assets, Council determines the name and submits it to Geographic Names Victoria for approval (gazettal).

Community consultation is not always required in this process. However, all proposed names must still meet the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria and be assessed for suitability, uniqueness and connection to place.

Developers may suggest names, but the final decision rests with Council.

An official name is one that has been formally approved by Council and gazetted through Geographic Names Victoria. Once gazetted, the name becomes the recognised legal name and is used consistently across government systems, emergency services, mapping platforms, signage, and property records

An unofficial name is a name that may be used informally by the community or appear on digital platforms such as Google Maps but has not been formally approved or gazetted. Unofficial names can sometimes be inconsistent, duplicated, historically outdated or non-compliant with state naming rules

Formalising a name ensures clarity, accuracy and consistency across all systems and services