Fullerton Street: Woollahra Councillors vote on Ukraine Street renaming

Councillors have voted on plans to rename an eastern suburbs street to Ukraine Street after attracting hundreds of submissions including concerns over property prices.

Sydney’s Ukrainian community say they have been left disappointed after a council backflipped on plans to rename a leafy eastern suburbs street to Ukraine Street.

Woollahra councillors have unanimously rejected a proposal to change the name of Fullerton Street which is home to the Russian Consulate, along with homes and several businesses.

The proposal was designed to serve as a symbolic protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and had been supported by 13 of 14 councillors at a meeting just six weeks ago in early May.

The proposed renaming was voted on at a council meeting this week.

But the planned rename drew battlegrounds closer to home with hundreds of residents signing a petition against the move, while a fortnight of community consultation generated 840 submissions – of which 44 per cent were in support and 56 per cent opposed.

A bulk of objections came from residents living on Fullerton Street with just 11 per cent of occupants supporting the name change.

Objectors said the proposal could have left locals having to change postal details on “every document, utility, licence” while others feared it “could also affect property valuations from a name being of such a political nature”.

The street is home to the Russian Consulate.

Will Berry, who runs a video production business on the street, said was happy the name was staying the same. Other opponents described the renaming as “tokenistic” and a “symbolic gesture that will do nothing to help or even stop the Ukrainian war.”

“Council’s job is to control rates, rubbish and roads. It should not think it has any authority over international politics,” another submission stated.

Supporters of the renaming said it would be a “small but powerful” way for the council and community to stand by the citizens of Ukraine.

“It will be a daily reminder to those writing to, working in, arriving at and supporting the consulate that Russia’s brutal and catastrophic aggression towards Ukraine is not and never will be acceptable,” one supporter wrote.

Woollahra councillors Nicola Grieve and Matthew Robertson pictured on Fullerton St.

The proposal dominated debate during this week’s council meeting. Councillor Nicola Grieve said the council had to respect the community feedback - noting that the “people who will be carrying the burden and will be massively inconvenienced are the residents of Fullerton St”.

The meeting also had councillors suggest other ways to express support for Ukraine such as flying a Ukrainian flag on a council building, supporting a Ukrainian inspired public artwork or renaming another public area to ‘Ukraine Square’ or Ukraine Place.

Councillor Mary-Lou Jarvis said the measures could present further challenges for the council.

A photo of the street.

“I’m mindful this is not going to be the only war in the world – if we have a Ukraine Place then perhaps we need a Taiwan Place and I just don’t want to create a precedent because there’ll be other atrocities elsewhere the our world and we must then create places all over the municipality. Where’s it going to end?” she said.

Councillors ultimately voted to take no further action on the renaming of Fullerton Street, while at the same time reaffirming its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The council will also write to the Federal Government requesting an increase to the number of humanitarian visas arising from the conflict, and investigate other ways to demonstrate community support for Ukraine.

Stefan Romaniw said he was disappointed with the council’s decision.

Stefan Romaniw – chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations – said he was disappointed with the council’s decision not to proceed with the name change.

“We would have liked the change and we’ve written to the council to try to find alternatives,” he said.

“Obviously we’re disappointed because the situation in Ukraine warrants a change in the street name given the Russian Consulate is there.

“The most important thing is to send a strong message that the community supports the people of Ukraine.”

The proposed name change came after the council’s traffic committee voted to strip the consulate of three dedicated carparking spaces on Fullerton Street in May and instead made them available for wider community use. 

Consul-General of Russia Igor Arzhaev – in a rare address to the council this month – said the removal of parking spaces, which are monitored by police, had caused security concerns for the consulate officials.

“The building has been a Soviet building for over 50 years and until this time we had good relations with your municipal council and respected all municipal rules,” he said.

“The council has an obligation under the Vienna Convention to ensure proper conditions for the consular general.

“We really need these parking spaces. It’s important for our security and it’s also strongly needed for the security of all those Australian citizens who attend us and visit here.

“We continue to receive threatening and offensive messages and regard it very seriously. ”