A call to allow ratepayers to name several anonymous streets in the Georges River local government area has fallen on deaf ears.
Before the council last Monday night was a list of suggested names drawn up by council staff for a number of unnamed laneways, roads and reserves.
But Councillor Vince Badalati moved an amendment asking that the community should be given the opportunity for ratepayers to submit their suggested names to the council.
"Council will then decide which names would be adopted and award small prizes to the ratepayer who suggested the names that were adopted by the council," he said.
A similar naming competition was held about 15 years ago when the Narwee Boys High School was closed and the site sold by the State Government for a residential subdivision and a park.
Hurstville Council decided that the ratepayers would be given the opportunity of submitting suggested street names.
This attracted around 5,000 entries, Cr Badalati said.
Council staff then went through the long list of suggested names and came up with four suggestions.
This included a square named after Harold Wallace, a former long-term general manager of Hurstville Council.
There were also three streets in the subdivision named after people who had done a lot for the community in the early days of Narwee.
The ratepayers who submitted the names finally selected by the council were awarded small prizes.
"I think it is a good opportunity to involve the community. I think the council will get a lot of kudos from the community if we allow them to participate in the whole process," he said.
"It would generate a lot of interest. I think we will find that a lot of names that come through will be historial names of people and events and once they all have come in the staff can vet them before they come to the council to make a decision on them."
The council's director community and culture, Rebekah Schultz said a lot of consideration had gone into the selection of names including reference to local histories and consultation with community members.
These included the name Orchard Reserve which is a tribute to the historical use of the area.
The name AJ Marshall Reserve at Beverly Hills is named after a naturalist of the 1930s who grew up in the era.
Rainbow Lorikeet Reserve is a reference to the birds that were numerous in Penshurst in its rural past.
But Councillor Sam Elmir spoke against Cr Badalati's recommendation to allow ratepayers to name the unnamed streets.
He was supported by the majority of councillors who then voted for the original recommendation, endorsing the list of names as proposed by council staff to go on public exhibition before being submitted to the Geographical Names Board for registration.
That the proposal to assign names to the listed roads and reserves are:
i. Assign the name "Orchard Reserve" to the currently unnamed reserve informally known as "Gloucester Road Reserve No. 3".
ii. Assign the name "Warwick Reserve" to the currently unnamed reserve informally known as "Gloucester Road Reserve No. 5".
iii. Assign the name "AJ Marshall Reserve" to the currently unnamed reserve informally known as "Gloucester Road Reserve No. 2".
iv. Assign the name "Rainbow Lorikeet Reserve" to the currently unnamed reserve informally known as "Gloucester Road Reserve No. 4".
v. Assign the name "Dumbleton Lane" to the unnamed road between Edgbaston Road and Stoney Creek Road (running parallel to King Georges Road).
vi. Assign the name "McCready Lane" to the unnamed road between Edgbaston Road and Stoney Creek Road (running parallel to Melvin Street).
vii. Assign the name "Rudduck Lane" to the unnamed road between Melvin Street and King Georges Road.
viii. Assign the name "Kintail Street" to the eastern section of Princes Street between Grove Avenue and Laycock Road in Mortdale.
