‘Suburb of death’: Residents fight ‘offensive’ name proposed for Blacktown suburb
There are fears for the fortunes of those living in a new Sydney suburb after it was revealed its proposed name translates as death. Some fear it will impact house prices while others fear for their safety.
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When Jyothi Tummalapally bought her dream home in Schofields’ Akuna Vista estate, she never imagined she would be moving into a ‘suburb of death’.
But that’s the issue facing many residents in the new development, which is earmarked for a new name – Nirimba Marana – under a proposal from Blacktown Council and the Geographical Names Board.
Residents of Indian heritage have raised concerns over the name, with Marana meaning ‘death’ in Hindi, Punjabi and Tamil languages.
More than 200 residents have signed a Change.org petition calling for the “offensive” name to be dropped, despite it having the support of the council’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
The name means ‘pelican first’ in Darug language and is the second name pitched for the area after an initial proposal for the name Lynch was rejected due to public outcry.
Ms Tummalapally, who migrated to Australia from India several years ago and recently purchased her first home in the estate, said the proposed name has created a “nightmare” for her young family.
“I don’t want to have a nightmare everyday living in that house,” she said.
“If something goes wrong, I might think it is because of the name. I don’t want that negativity.
“If I knew it was going to be called Nirimba Marana, I would not have purchased the land and future families living in this place are going to think the same.”
Fellow resident Hrishikesh Balapure said the community also had concerns about the potential financial implications of the name.
“If we name this suburb Marana, it is negative in financial terms and will devalue our properties in the long run,” he said.
“We might lose 50-60 per cent of potential buyers, and if you’re losing buyers for your property, the value goes down.”
Residents told the Blacktown Advocate they felt they had not been properly consulted and were a “soft target” for a name change due to many landowners not yet living in the estate, which is being developed by Defence Housing Australia.
“No consultation was made with registered land holders or ratepayers nor the
future land owners currently with deposits, awaiting further stage registration,” future resident Matthew Coombes said.
“It violates (the names board’s) own guidelines where community sensitivities must be taken into account and also names should not be discriminatory or derogatory.”
However, Blacktown Council said it was aware of the concerns and would consider all feedback before the final decision was referred to the name’s board.
“Council welcomed comments on the naming in the public forum session at its December Council meeting,” a council spokesman said.
“The final authority for naming lies with the (names board).
“The (names board) is seeking council’s views raised during the exhibition period of the proposed name and council will consider the issue and its response at its meeting in February.”
A names board spokesman said the proposed name could be rejected or altered, based on public feedback.
“The board recognises the perception of ‘discriminatory’ or ‘derogatory’ names may vary through time and from place to place,” the spokesman said.
“The community will be kept informed.”
The proposal from the council involves the creation of six new suburbs in Blacktown City — namely, Melonba, Angus, Richards, Nirimba Marana, Grantham Farm and Tallawong — in addition to amending the boundaries of six suburbs.
Last year, the names board approved the names of Angus, Melonba and Richards and proposed amendments to the boundaries of Marsden Park, Rouse Hill, Shanes Park and Vineyard.
However, the proposal hit a snag when the names board refused to endorse the names Lynch, Kwigan and Wran, resulting in the proposal of three new names, including Nirimba Marana.
The approved changes have been put on hold pending a decision on the remaining names.
WHAT THE CHANGES MEAN FOR YOU
Melonba: New suburb comprising part of the existing suburb of Marsden Park.
Angus: New suburb comprising parts of the existing suburbs of Marsden Park and Riverstone.
Richards: New suburb comprising parts of the existing suburbs of Riverstone and Vineyard.
Nirimba Marana: Proposed new suburb comprising part of the existing suburb of Schofields. Originally proposed as Lynch.
Grantham Farm: Proposed new suburb comprising part of the existing suburb of Riverstone. Originally proposed as Kwigan.
Tallawong: Proposed new suburb comprising part of the existing suburbs of Schofields and Rouse Hill. Originally proposed as Wran.