The Geographical Names Board (GNB) is seeking community feedback on a proposal by Shellharbour City Council and Kiama Municipal Council to rename the suburb of Yellow Rock to Yellow Rock Ridge. Feedback is being sought on the proposal to rename the suburb of Yellow Rock, which sits in both Shellharbour and Kiama Local Government Areas (LGA) as there is a suburb of the same name in Blue Mountains LGA.
Duplicated suburb names may potentially risk the provision of essential services such as police, fire and rescue, and ambulance. The councils’ community consultation found a majority of residents supported changing the suburb name by adding a suffix to Yellow Rock, with a preference for Yellow Rock Ridge. The consultation also recorded instances where Yellow Rock community members had experienced confusion and difficulties with the name duplication, including issues with service delivery and emergency services. Yellow Rock was named after the sandstone cliffs from which heritage listed buildings in the area are made from. The GNB is seeking feedback to gauge community sentiment for the proposed name. Suggestions for alternative names are not being sought at this time. Residents of Yellow Rock are encouraged to view the proposal on the GNB website, where they can also make a submission on the proposed changes. Written submissions on the proposed name can also be mailed to: Secretary, Geographical Names Board, 346 Panorama Ave, Bathurst, NSW 2795. The closing date for submissions is 12 January 2024.
Geographical Names Board Chair Narelle Underwood said:
“It is important that place names reflect the character and history of the local area and community.” “Duplicated suburb names can often cause confusion, it is important to have clear and unique suburb names.” “We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to provide their feedback on the proposed name.”
