Ordinary Council Meeting

9 September 2020

LATE ITEM

REPORT & ATTACHMENTS

ITEM NO SUBJECT 11.2.4 PROPOSED ROAD NAMING – WITCHCLIFFE ECOVILLAGE

SHIRE OF AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER LATE ITEM – ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING 9 SEPTEMBER 2020

11.2.4 PROPOSED ROAD NAMING – WITCHCLIFFE ECOVILLAGE LOCATION/ADDRESS Lot 1500 Bussell Hwy Witchcliffe APPLICANT/LANDOWNER Perron Developments Pty Ltd FILE REFERENCE PTY/12875 REPORT AUTHOR Greg West, Acting Technical Officer, Assets & Admin AUTHORISING OFFICER Nick Logan, Director Sustainable Development and Infrastructure

IN BRIEF • The developer of Lot 1500 Bussell Highway, Witchcliffe (Witchcliffe Ecovillage) has submitted a list

of proposed new road names for their subdivision of this land. • The developer requests Council’s endorsement of the names and requests that the Shire submits

the names to Landgate’s Geographic Names Committee for final approval. RECOMMENDATION That Council endorses the list of proposed road names submitted for the subdivision of Lot 1500 Bussell Highway, Witchcliffe (Witchcliffe Ecovillage). LOCATION PLAN Nil TABLED ITEMS Nil BACKGROUND In Western Australia the practice of officially naming roads is covered under Section 26 and 26A of the Land Administration Act 1997. The legislation is supported by policies and processes which provide the necessary information for any person or group interested in the naming and the determination of extents for roads, topographical features, points of interest, administrative boundaries and localities. Adherence with the policies and standards set out in Landgate’s “Policies and Standards for Geographic Naming in Western Australia” is mandatory. The Geographic Names Committee (GNC), based at Landgate, has the responsibility of collecting, approving and registering place names in Western Australia. The Local Authorities role in the process is to endorse the names prior to them being submitted to the Geographic Names Committee for approval. CONSULTATION AND ADVICE External Consultation • WALGA • Geographic Names Committee Internal Consultation • Director of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure • Manager Asset Services • Governance (Legal, Risk and Permit) Officer DISCUSSION / OFFICER COMMENTS In respect to the naming of new roads, the Geographic Names Committee requires that the Local Authority provides endorsement for any names submitted.

SHIRE OF AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER LATE ITEM – ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING 9 SEPTEMBER 2020

Landgate’s preferred method of lodgement is for the developer to submit the names to the Local Authority for endorsement and for the Local Authority to submit the list of names to the Geographic Names Committee for approval. The developer of the Witchcliffe Ecovillage has submitted a list of proposed names, justifications and a map indicating the extent of the road for Stages 1-3 of their development (see attachments 1 & 2). As many of the proposed names are of Aboriginal origin in the Wadandi language, evidence of support by local indigenous elders has been provided (see attachment 3). Council officers have undertaken a preliminary validation process of the proposed names using a tool provided by Landgate. Failure of preliminary validation does not preclude submission to Landgate of the names however additional supporting evidence and alternative names are required. Where any of the submitted names failed the preliminary validation the developer has been notified and the additional information submitted. If Landgate finds that the submission is non-compliant, the relevant local government and original requestor (if required) will be issued with either a request for further information, or advice that the submission needs to be modified to confirm its compliance. Authority for the Chief Executive Officer to liaise with Landgate and authorise any necessary changes to the list of names is requested. As this naming submission does not relate to any re-naming of a road there is no requirement to undertake public consultation. STATUTORY ENVIRONMENT / LEGAL IMPLICATIONS Part 9 of the Land Administration Act 1997 requires Council consideration of the road names and sets the process for naming. STRATEGIC PLAN / POLICY IMPLICATIONS Community Strategic Plan 2036 (CSP) Corporate Business Plan 2020-2024 Key result area 3 Ensuring sustainable development Community Outcome Clearly defined areas for growth and renewal: Strategic Response: Implement Local Planning Scheme No. 1 (LPS1) Service level strategy/plan: Provide Planning Services PLANNING FRAMEWORK Nil FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Implications Nil Long Term Financial Plan Nil Whole of Lifecycle considerations Nil SUSTAINABILITY IMPLICATIONS Environmental Nil Social The proposed road names reflect important and notable people from the history of the region, including names from the Wadandi language. Economic Nil

SHIRE OF AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER LATE ITEM – ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING 9 SEPTEMBER 2020

ADVOCACY Nil IMPLICATIONS OF ALTERNATIVE RESOLUTION Council could refuse to endorse any or all of the proposed names and request the developer to submit a list of alternate names. VOTING REQUIREMENTS Simple Majority RECOMMENDATION That Council endorses the list of proposed road names submitted for the subdivision of Lot 1500 Bussell Highway, Witchcliffe (Witchcliffe Ecovillage). ADVICE TO APPLICANT / PROPONENT Nil ATTACHMENTS 1. WEV Approved Street Names 270820 RevC 2. Witchcliffe Ecovillage Stages 1-3 Proposed road names justification 3. Witchcliffe Ecovillage Stages 1-3 Supporting Evidence

PROPOSED STREET NAMESLot 1500, Bussell Highway, Witchcliffe

Sustainable Settlements Pty Ltd / Perron Developments Pty Ltd

Sustainable Human Settlement Design & Development

10437 Bussell HwyWitchcliffe WA 6286

www.ecovillage.net.aut. 08 9757 6688

© Sustainable Settlements Pty Ltd

Date: August 2020Revision: C

Scale: 1:2,500 @ A1 1:5,000 @ A3

0 50 100 150 200 250 300m

BUSSELL HIGHWAY

SHERVINGTON AVE

N

Name Pronunciation Meaning 1 Mollison Way Named for Bill Mollison, (d. 2016).

2 *Weitj Drive wetch Emu3 *Wambenga Way Wam’benger Phascogale4 *Mardo Avenue mar’do Yellow-footed antechinus5 *Wannang Lane wan’ang Peppermint tree6 *Wolghine Avenue wal’gyne Original place name and link to a

local cave and Wardando story.

Street Name Pronunciation Meaning 7 *Wedup Lane we’dup Spotted pardalote8 *Karrak Crescent Kar’rack Forest Red-tail cockatoo9 *Kwenda Place qwen’da Southern brown bandicoot

10 *Mannitj Avenue man’itch White-tailed black cockatoo11 *Yornitj Drive yor’nitch Masked owl12 *Kulbardi Way cawl’bar’dee Magpie 13 *Kyloring Drive ky’lore’ing Elegant parrot

* All names marked with an asterisk have been chosen in consultation with elders from the Undalup Association, including Mr. Wayne Webb, who was identifi ed during the Structure Planning cultural and heritage consultation process as the appropriate Wardandi /Pibulmen cultural contact for the Ecovillage project. The proposed Wardandi/Pibulmen names are approved by the Undalup Association to be used as road names in the Witchcliffe Ecovillage.

RED

GAT

E RO

AD

77

66

44

33

55

22

11

88

1212

1010

11111313

99

Legend

Public Street

Private Street

Street Number##

Proposed Street Names

Witchcliffe Ecovillage Proposed Stages 1 – 3 Road and Place Names

Road (P= private)

Name Pronunciation Meaning Significance

P1 Mollison Way Named for Bill Mollison, (d. 2016).

Bill Mollison was an internationally renowned Australian scientist and academic, and founder of Permaculture, a worldwide system of agricultural and social design principles centred on simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. Permaculture design and practice has inspired and informed the holistic and sustainable planning and technical decisions made throughout the creation of the Witchcliffe Ecovillage, which is a landmark project for the provision of sustainable housing in Australia, and Mr Mollison was a supporter and champion of the project. While we understand that this name is not strictly in accordance with the Geographical Naming Policy, as Mr Mollison was not local, we ask for an exception for the naming of this road, as the association of Mr Mollison’s system of permaculture with the Ecovillage is very strong, and it is a private strata road which will be accessed only by the Ecovillage’s farm strata owners (there is no housing permitted on Ecovillage Agricultural lots).

P1 Alternative

*Chiriger Way

Chi’ri’ger Splendid Blue Wren

Beautiful local wren frequently observed in Witchcliffe gardens.

P 2

*Weitj Drive wetch Emu Male emus raise their chicks every year on the pastured properties to the north and east of the Ecovillage, with a mob of around 10 emus present year-round.

3 *Wambenga Way

wam’benger Brush-tailed phascogale

A small nocturnal carnivorous marsupial which is known to exist in forest immediately adjacent to the Ecovillage.

4 *Mardo Avenue mar’do Yellow-footed antechinus

A small nocturnal omnivorous marsupial which lives in the area and which we hope to successfully reintroduce to our conservation areas and gardens.

P5

*Wannang Lane

wan’ang Peppermint tree Agonis flexuosa

This private laneway is adjacent to a gnarly old peppy tree which has survived through decades of farming and grazing on the land, and will be part of a replanted grove of peppermint trees.

6 * Wolghine Avenue

wal’gyne

Original place name and link to a local cave and Wardandi story.

This was the name given to Group Settlement 72 in East Witchcliffe which included the northern half of the Ecovillage land. It was originally spelt Walgine by the settlers, but Wardandi/Pibulmen/Yoonunjarli elders from the Undalup Association have confirmed a preferred spelling of Wolghine.

Wolghine was a cave dwelling ocean spirit associated with the Gnarabup/Witchcliffe area and specifically with a cave called Wolghine Mia, and features in an important story about a fight between land and ocean spirits. The Undalup Association elders were very supportive of the use of this name as it has special connections to the Witchliffe area.

7

*Wedup Lane we’dup Spotted pardalote

Spotted pardalotes have been observed in the Ecovillage’s conservation bushland.

7 Alternative

*Willerin Lane will’er’in Willy wagtail Frequently observed bird on site.

8 *Karrak Crescent

kar’rack Forest red-tail cockatoo

Endangered cockatoo which is a seasonal visitor to the Ecovillage conservation areas.

9 *Kwenda Place qwen’da Southern brown bandicoot

Kwenda are known to inhabit the remnant forest to the east of the Ecovillage, and our rigorous pet control policy (no cats allowed and dogs kept inside houses at night) will encourage kwenda to return to our conservation areas and gardens.

9 Alternative

*Wurriji Place Wur’a’gee King skink These large black lizards are common in gardens throughout the Witchcliffe area.

10 *Mannitj Avenue

man’itch White-tailed black cockatoo

This avenue leads towards a row of pine trees frequented by endangered Baudins White-tailed Black Cockatoos. Mannitj are important totem birds for people of the Pibulmen Nation, and the Ecovillage creeks flow eastwards via the Chapman Brook to the Blackwood River in Pibulmen country. It is an important indigenous name for a very special and endangered bird, and the Undalup Association elders we consulted were very pleased to have it associated with this land. While the Landgate preliminary name approval process noted a similarity to Mann St and Manning Street, these are both recognisably named for people, and we believe that “Mannitj” presents as a significantly different word visually, is identifiably an indigenous name, and is already recognised by many in the area as the local name for the white tailed black cockatoo.

11 *Yornitj Drive yor’nitch Masked owl Masked owls have been recorded in the creekline in the Ecovillage’s northern conservation land. They are a rare owl in the area and the subject of a very successful local education campaign to educate residents about the dangers of inappropriate rat baiting on these large owl species.

12 *Kulbardi Way cawl’bar’dee Magpie This road passes beneath a magpie breeding tree on its eastern progression. There is a large family of magpies who live here permanently with a number of old and current nests in Marri trees on the edge of the conservation forest area.

13 Kyloring Drive ky’lor’ing Elegant parrot This road passes by a pasture area which is frequented seasonally by elegant parrots.

Witchcliffe Ecovillage Supporting Evidence – Names that Failed Initial Verification (or may not be in accordance with the Naming Policy)

Road (P= private)

Name Pronunciation Meaning Significance

P1 Mollison Way Named for Bill Mollison, (d. 2016).

Bill Mollison was an internationally renowned Australian scientist and academic, and founder of Permaculture, a worldwide system of agricultural and social design principles centred on simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. Permaculture design and practice has inspired and informed the holistic and sustainable planning and technical decisions made throughout the creation of the Witchcliffe Ecovillage, which is a landmark project for the provision of sustainable housing in Australia, and Mr Mollison was a supporter and champion of the project. While we understand that this name is not strictly in accordance with the Geographical Naming Policy, as Mr Mollison was not local, we ask for an exception for the naming of this road, as the association of Mr Mollison’s system of permaculture with the Ecovillage is very strong, and it is a private strata road which will be accessed only by the Ecovillage’s farm strata owners (there is no housing permitted on Ecovillage Agricultural lots).

P1 Alternative

*Chiriger Way

Chi’ri’ger Splendid Blue Wren

Beautiful local wren frequently observed in Witchcliffe gardens.

7

*Wedup Lane we’dup Spotted pardalote

This name failed initial verification due to a road called Wyadup Road in Yallingup. Yallingup is 54km by road, so quite a distance away, and the pronunciation of these two words is quite different.

7 Alternative

*Willerin Lane will’er’in Willy wagtail Frequently observed bird on site.

9 *Kwenda Place qwen’da Southern brown bandicoot

Kwenda are known to inhabit the remnant forest to the east of the Ecovillage, and our rigorous pet control policy (no cats allowed and dogs kept inside houses at night) will encourage kwenda to return to our conservation areas and gardens. While this didn’t fail the preliminary verification, there is a ‘Quenda Close’ in Vasse, some 54km from the site by car, which we believe is far enough away to avoid any confusion and also of different spelling (so visually different).

9 Alternative

*Wurriji Place Wur’a’gee King skink These large black lizards are common in gardens throughout the Witchcliffe area.

10 *Mannitj Avenue

man’itch White-tailed black cockatoo

This avenue leads towards a row of pine trees frequented by endangered Baudins White-tailed Black Cockatoos. Mannitj are important totem birds for people of the Pibulmen Nation, and the Ecovillage creeks flow eastwards via the Chapman Brook to the Blackwood River in Pibulmen country. It is an important indigenous name for a very special and endangered bird, and the Undalup Association elders we consulted were very pleased to have it associated with this land. While the Landgate preliminary name approval process noted a similarity to Mann St and Manning Street, these are both recognisably named for people, and we believe that “Mannitj” presents as a significantly different word visually, is identifiably an indigenous name, and is already recognised by many in the area as the local name for the white tailed black cockatoo.

13 Kyloring Drive ky’lor’ing Elegant parrot This road passes by a pasture area which is frequented seasonally by elegant parrots. This name passed the preliminary verification, but in the event that it is not acceptable please consider our alternative ‘Mulal Drive’.

13 Alternative

*Mulal Drive Mu’lal Purple swamphen A frequently observed waterbird that inhabits and breeds on the Ecovillage’s dams.

Additional alternative names for any road not acceptable to Landgate

*Gnuraren *Balagarra *Djerral

Nu’ra’ren Ba’la’ga’ra Jer’al

Western Ringtail possum Honey possum Jarrah tree

Endangered possum occurring in Witchcliffe, including the bushland on the east of the Ecovillage site. Uncommon small nectar feeding marsupial, known to occur in the Witchcliffe area through to Redgate beach. Wadandi name for the Jarrah tree, a eucalyptus species occurring in remnant bushland throughout the south west of WA. There is a stand of Jarrah trees on the Ecovillage land.

If none of our proposed alternative names is acceptable, we authorise Landgate at its discretion to undertake any changes to the road name or road type to enable final approval.