Under the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria- Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities (2022 Edition), Council is required to seek public comment before finalising a naming decision.

Community members are encouraged to make a submission, either in support of or objecting to the proposed name. Submissions should reference the naming guidelines where relevant. A copy of the naming rules is available in the Document Library on this page, and further details can be found at State Government Website: Naming Rules- Place Naming

As both the community hub and kindergarten need to be registered and approved by Geographic Names Victoria, their names must comply with the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria (2022 edition).

There is already a registered place named Sebastopol South Kindergarten, which means we cannot use Sebastopol in the title for the new kindergarten due to duplication issues.

For the community hub, there are already multiple facilities in the suburb that use Sebastopol in their names. This level of repetition can cause confusion for emergency services and the public, potentially leading to safety issues.

To ensure clarity and compliance, names must be distinctive, while still being locationally relevant.

Although the community hub and kindergarten are a part of the same building, they are separate facilities with different uses and must have a unique registered name. This helps to avoid confusion for emergency services and the public when navigating to both facilities.

Community feedback is an important part of the naming process. All responses submitted during the consultation period are reviewed by the naming officer and assessed against the Naming rules for places in Victoria 2022 edition.

After all of the feedback is reviewed; a recommendation is made to Council. Based on the feedback received during the consultation period, Council will decide to either adopt the naming proposal or abandon it. Once adopted, the proposal will be sent to Geographic Names Victoria for approval and registration.

The name Vickers Street was chosen because it is a well-known and easily identifiable location within Sebastopol. Using a locational name helps the community, emergency services and visitors easily find the community hub and kindergarten. It also aligns with the Naming rules for places in Victoria (2022 edition), which encourages clear, location-based names that avoids confusion.

Submissions can be made in the feedback form or alternatively via email or post. In your submission, please indicate if you support the proposed name and briefly discuss why and/or demonstrate how the proposal does not conform to the Naming rules for places in Victoria- Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities 2022 edition. Council is required to respond to everyone who makes a submission.

Submissions on the proposed name are invited and will be received until 5pm 15th of August 2025.

If no submissions are made it will be assumed that there are no objections, and the City of Ballarat will proceed with the naming process.

• Email: info@ballarat.vic.gov.au with NP246: Naming of the new community hub and kindergarten in Sebastopol in the subject line
• Post: Letter addressed to the Naming Officer in Property and Facilities and can be mailed to Post Office Box 655 BALLARAT VIC 3353 quoting the reference NP246: Naming of the new community hub and kindergarten in Sebastopol

Privacy and how your information is used

Your personal information is being collected by the City of Ballarat for the purpose of community consultation via the MySay platform. This helps Council better understand local needs and perspectives, and may be used to keep you informed about the project you’re engaging with.

Your information will be securely stored in Council’s systems and handled in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). For more information, please refer to Council’s Privacy Policy at www.ballarat.vic.gov.au.