Wednesday, August 12, 2015



Australia: Blacktown name change on the cards as council agrees to stage referendum

"Black" is a bad word?

Blacktown residents will go to the polls to decide if Blacktown Council and the region should change its name.

Blacktown Council last night passed a recommendation for a referendum on the issue expected to take place during next year’s council elections.

The push for change was led by Ward 3 councillor Karlo Siljeg who said the name Blacktown no longer reflected the region.

Blacktown Council general manager Kerry Robinson revealed the cost of staging an election was in the vicinity of $1.2 million dollars.

Last week, Blacktown Council released information about a rebranding exercise recently undertaken at a cost of $130,000.  The rebranding included new logos, slogans and marketing direction for Blacktown Council

Cr Siljeg had earlier suggested the region and council be renamed West Sydney but stressed the suburb of Blacktown would not be changed.

He also moved the Blacktown CBD be rezoned as a new suburb and renamed.  “There are many people who live in the Blacktown LGA who don’t associate with Blacktown,” he said.

Blacktown mayor Stephen Bali slammed the name change idea before Wednesday night’s meeting.  “It’s the most ridiculous thing I have seen,” he said.  “It doesn’t even mean anything. West Sydney means the entire western Sydney — it doesn’t even make logical sense.

“We have 332,000 people that live in the city of Blacktown and it’s their city of choice. If you don’t like the name, don’t come.

“I think the vast majority of people are happy with the name. To call it West Sydney, it has no identification. Every other council in western Sydney is going to be upset.”

SOURCE

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

So they want to spend 4-5 million or more to change the name and what is that going to get them? Seems like a poor use for scarce resources.

MDH

Julie Lowry said...

I think the standard MO for a town being accused of racism is to deny it... But these guys came out and said the name "Blacktown no longer reflected the region." which sounds like hes admitting they got rid of all the blacks and no longer want their town associated with them?

Bird of Paradise said...

Reminds me of PETA wanting some communities here in america to change their names like wanting a town of Slughterville to change its name to Veggieville,Hamburg to change its name to Veggieberg Turkey TX to change its name to Touferkey and Fishkill NY to change its name to Fishsave they all ended up gettting their stupid requests rejected by common sense folk not brainwashed by the animatronic talking animal crap movies they(PETA)watch

Anonymous said...

So, Karlo Siljeg, just where is all this money to change a name for no apparent reason going to go? Any relatives in the zone?

Alpha Skua said...

P.C. Nonsense it just proves what liberalism dose to a brain causes brains to shrink to pea or raisin size

Flu-Bird said...

I prepose we rename Washington D.C. the City of Theives becuase thats what it is and the UN renamed Hall of Evil