Boyup Brook shire president says decision to reject dual name for Blackwood River based on community feedback

Boyup Brook shire president Richard Walker says the decision to reject a proposal from the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes on a dual name for Blackwood River was based on “community feedback”. The Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes’ Cultural Inclusion Advisory Committee identified the dual naming of the river as a priority and asked the Shire of Boyup Brook to support the effort in December 2022. All shires the river runs through needed to support the dual naming application for it to receive Landgate approval, but the Boyup Brook council voted it down the proposal 6-2 after concluding it did not have majority support from the community. In a statement released on the shire’s website last week, Mr Walker said the council sought to establish a consensus viewpoint on the issue. “To achieve this, the shire initiated community engagement and consultation for a period of 30 days, utilising the shire website and social media platforms during September/October 2023,” he said. “This generated community feedback and submissions on the proposal. “The council considered the community feedback at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on October 26, 2023. “This was a public meeting and the council concluded the proposal was a matter that did not have majority community support at this time, with Council’s decision to not support dual naming, reflecting this community feedback.” Mr Walker said, “the proposal has stimulated valuable community discussion on the recognition of Aboriginal heritage within the shire”. “It is anticipated that this discussion will be ongoing at a grassroots level within the community,” he said. “The community of Western Australia can be assured the Shire of Boyup Brook will continue to explore, with the local community, ways to celebrate and acknowledge our region’s Aboriginal heritage and culture in a manner that unites our community.”