Knox Council announces Quarry Reserve name change before its official

Knox Council has heralded the renaming of a popular Upper Ferntree Gully park in the latest edition of its newspaper — but the controversial name change is still not official.

Knox Council has jumped the gun in announcing a name change for Quarry Reserve.

Knox Council has jumped the gun in announcing a name change for a popular Upper Ferntree Gully reserve before it is official.

In the latest edition of council publication Knox News, the council said Quarry Reserve had been renamed Frank Johnson Park, in honour of the popular former mayor.

But Geographic Names Victoria confirmed no decision on the name change had been made.

In a statement, the organisation said it had received the renaming proposal and it was being assessed according to the state’s naming rules.

A decision will be made when the audit process is finalised.

The Knox News item.

Rowville’s Robin Hartog alerted Knox Leader to the item, and said it was another example of council’s “complete disregard” for residents and processes.

Knox Mayor Jake Keogh did not answer questions about why council had announced the name change was official in Knox News.

Cr Keogh said council resolved at the March 26 council meeting to name the reserve in honour of Mr Johnson.

He said extensive community consultation found that 78 per cent of respondents were in favour of the reserve being named after Mr Johnson.

Former Knox Council Mayor Frank Johnson.

He confirmed council’s submission was with the Office of Geographic Names, and council looked forward to receiving a decision in coming weeks.

Mr Johnson served as a councillor for 12 years, representing the Ferntree Gully ward from 1981 to 1993, including two terms as mayor.

He grew up 600m from Quarry Reserve and his contributions to the Knox community included helping to establish St Joseph’s College and the Arboretum.

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More than 1000 people voted on a poll on Knox Leader’s Facebook page, with 619 supporting the plan, and 546 opposed.

Kim Nanscawen said the area had been known as the quarry since the late 1800s.

“I have nothing against Frank Johnson or what he did or didn’t do in the council and the local area, (but) the quarry has its own history and it doesn’t need any person’s name attached to it,” she said.