Neil Francey, Mackay, is the man who has proposed the Whitsunday name change. Here is his side of the story.
· Page 1 “A proposal is threatening the future of the name Whitsunday, leaving many to question what the bloody hell it could be called”
- “threatening the future use of the name Whitsunday”.
Whilst the application lodged with the Minister for Natural Resources may (if acted upon) see the name Whitsunday removed as one formally approved under the Place Names Act 1994 (PNA), this does not necessarily constitute a “threat” to the future use of the name itself. In fact, if the application were successful, the name Whitsunday would then be able to be used more widely in the region including in areas where it is more appropriate to be used and where it would then be able to be used without the risk of contravention of the PNA e.g. coffee currently marketed as “Whitsunday Gold” is not grown in the presently approved Whitsunday area and likewise still water marketed with a Whitsunday name is bottled from a source outside the current formal Whitsunday area. In reality, very little of the currently approved Whitsunday name area has anything to do with Captain Cook’s naming of the Whitsunday Passage and even less to do with where Cook actually anchored over Pentecost Eve to Whitsunday 1770 (which was off Slade Point, just north of Mackay Outer Harbour).
- “leaving many to question what the bloody hell it could be called”
Despite attention of readers being drawn to page 5, the main story which appears there only identifies Jan Jarratt MP, Mayor Mike Brunker and the other 6 WRC Councillors expressing a view, all negative and none of the views quoted expressly raise this question repeated in rhetorical form at the top of page 5.
· Page 5 “A Government department is considering abolishing the iconic Whitsunday name in part of the region”/”DERM indicated it was considering discontinuing...”
- “A government department is considering”/”DERM...was considering discontinuing”
Strictly, DERM is processing a place name application in accordance with normal departmental processes which involves, in the first instance, contacting “stakeholders” for “feedback” (although I note the second paragraph refers to “an individual” applying to DERM for discontinuance of the Whitsunday name...)
- “abolishing”
Strictly, the application is for the removal of a currently approved place name. As alluded to above, it does not “abolish” the name: it merely removes it as an approved name leaving it to be used informally as appropriate.
- “in part of the region”
Whilst this is technically accurate, in that the name applied to be removed covers only part of the region being the narrow area from Shute Harbour to Cannonvale, the story as a whole implies that use of the Whitsunday name will be abolished everywhere and for all purposes whereas, for example, it would leave the name of WRC unaffected and likewise reference to the WRC LGA.
· Page 5 “Airlie Beach (etc) are at risk of losing their identities”
- For the reasons set out above, this assertion (by the reporter) is inaccurate and/or misleading. In any case, the name was originally approved in 1987 over opposition from the then Lands Department on the basis that it would supplant then existing towns of Cannonvale, Airlie & Shutehaven and if it was to proceed it should do so as a new local government area. As it happened, those towns were re-designated as districts within the new Whitsunday town name and the latter two areas re-named Airlie Beach & Shute Harbour. In reality the Lands Departments views appear to have prevailed in that Cannonvale, Airlie Beach & Shute Harbour are widely known in their own right whereas the Whitsunday town place name is little used and applies only to a restricted part of the whole region whereas many other areas could legitimately lay claim to the Whitsunday name.
· Page 5 “It was only earlier this year etc”
- This statement (by the reporter) is inaccurate and incomplete in that the application for the removal of the names Whitsunday Coast and Whitsundays were lodged with cognate applications to have the names re-applied to more appropriate areas. This passage of reporting implies that there has been a persistent attempt to abolish Whitsunday names whereas this is in fact not the case. The true position is that there has been an attempt to free up and regularise the various Whitsunday names e.g. by extending the name Whitsunday Coast north to just north of Bowen and to the south of Mackay, and by extending the Whitsundays name south to include Lindeman and Pentecost Islands (currently not included) and north to include the islands and surrounding waters near Bowen.
· Page 5 Statements attributed to Ms Jarratt
- These statements, in the body of the story and as a quote under her photograph, are expressed as an objective fact i.e. that the “discussion” is of a complete waste of time and money. They are also ill-informed and inaccurate. Expressed in the manner presented they are also defamatory.
· Page 5 Statements attributed to Mr Brunker.
- These statements are intemperate and inflammatory and presented with no supporting evidence or reasoning process. As such they compound the other vices identified.
· Page 5 DERM website reference
- This accepts without question the accuracy of DERM’s website entry whereas it is incomplete/inaccurate on a number of bases.
· Page 5 “DERM (officer) Ian Gordon said the applicant had not suggested an alternative name for the township of Whitsunday”
- This again presents an incomplete picture as dealt with in more detail above.
In addition to re-application of the names Whitsunday Coast and Whitsundays I applied for the name Whitsunday Region to apply to the whole MRC/WRC/IRC LGA’s, being something consistent with the current proposal to create a new Local Government Association of Queensland District of Whitsunday (my LTTE DM 21/11/11 refers).
Accordingly - far from leaving the place without a name, which is the main thrust of the story – I, like others, have put forward a comprehensive and cohesive name for the area based on the region’s unique connection with the iconic Whitsunday name. I can understand Mr Brunker not appreciating all this but I am at a loss to figure out Ms Jarratt’s position since it seems inimical to the interests of most of her constituents (e.g. those in and around Bowen, those in the heavily populated areas of Mackay falling within her electorate, and even residents of the former Whitsunday Shire outside the narrow strip of land from Cannonvale to Shute Harbour (indeed some of the more enlightened of those living in the latter area may also even support what is involved providing it is properly explained and understood).
Other stories:
Whitsunday name change plan 'insulting'
A Whit-stupid waste of timeWhitsunday name change plan 'insulting'
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