Community & places · Orange City Council
Orange naming audit prompts contested push for more women commemorated in public places
Councillors voted 7-4 to ask staff to address an identified gender imbalance in future names for parks, reserves, sporting facilities and other council assets.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Orange City Council has asked staff to address an identified gender imbalance in future commemorative names for public places after a 7-4 vote at its 6 October meeting.
The request covers council places and assets including parks, reserves, sporting facilities, buildings and other appropriate public places. Staff must also review and expand the existing names register, with a proposed approach to be reported back to councillors.
The audit itself was noted unanimously. The later request for further work was supported by Mayor Tania Mileto, Crs J Stedman, D Mallard, M McDonell, G Power, M Ruddy and J Whitton. Crs K Duffy, T Greenhalgh, G Judge and F Kinghorne voted against it. Cr S Peterson was absent.
No particular place was renamed, and the resolution does not set a target, timetable or criteria for the future naming approach. It refers to future commemorative naming, so the minutes do not establish whether existing names could be reconsidered.
During the item, Cr M McDonell asked about repeated names in the audit table. The Manager Engineering Services said the entries related to different park entrances and would not skew the data. The minutes do not include the audit’s full results or methodology, leaving the size and detail of the identified imbalance unclear.
What deserves a closer look
The resolution concerns future naming and asks for a proposed approach to be reported back, so it does not approve the renaming of any particular public place.
The vote shows the request was contested, but the minutes do not record the reasons for the four opposing votes.
The public minutes supplied do not state the audit's target, timetable, full results or methodology.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What gender breakdown and methodology did the audit use?
What criteria and timetable will staff propose for the expanded names register and future commemorative naming?
Will the proposed approach apply only to new names, or also consider existing council place names?
What happens next
Staff are to progress work addressing the identified gender imbalance in future commemorative naming.
Staff are to review and expand the existing names register.
The proposed approach is to be reported back to Council.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
Council noted the audit of names within the Orange Local Government Area.
THE MOTION ON BEING PUT WAS CARRIED. RESOLVED - 26/558 Cr K Duffy/Cr G Judge 1 That Council determine that this item be heard and voted on in seriatim. For: Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr T Greenhalgh, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr J Whitton Against: Cr J Stedman (Deputy Mayor), Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy Absent: Cr S Peterson RESOLVED - 26/559 Cr M Ruddy/Cr J Stedman 2 That Council note the report on the Audit of Names within the Orange Local Government Area.
Item 5.4, resolution 26/559
Open original minutes ↗Council requested work addressing the identified gender imbalance in future commemorative naming and expansion of the names register, with a proposed approach to return to Council.
For: Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr J Stedman (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr T Greenhalgh, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Whitton Against: Nil Absent: Cr S Peterson RESOLVED - 26/560 Cr M Ruddy/Cr M McDonell 3 That Council request that staff progress work to address the identified gender imbalance in future commemorative naming of Council places and assets, including parks, reserves, sporting facilities, buildings and other appropriate public places, and review and expand the existing names register to support this work, with the proposed approach to be reported back to Council.
Item 5.4, resolution 26/560
Open original minutes ↗The request for further work passed 7-4, with Cr S Peterson absent.
For: Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr J Stedman (Deputy Mayor), Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Whitton Against: Cr K Duffy, Cr T Greenhalgh, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne Absent: Cr S Peterson Cr McDonell asked why there are duplicate names in the table.
Item 5.4, resolution 26/560 vote
Open original minutes ↗The Manager Engineering Services said repeated names represented different entrances into parks and would not skew the data.
The Manager Engineering Services advised that the multiple names are from different entryways into parks and that the repeated listings would not skew the data. 5.5 COMMUNITY AED REPLACEMENTS TRIM REFERENCE: 2026/1930 MOTION Cr T Greenhalgh/Cr D Mallard That Council resolves : 1 To approve replacement of five AEDs back into the community at a cost of approximately $9,100 plus $240 per year for tracking 2 That the additional cost be included in the quarterly budget review process;
Item 5.4 discussion
Open original minutes ↗Source record
This report is based on the public minutes of Orange City Council’s ordinary meeting held on 6 October 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council noted an audit of names within the Orange Local Government Area on 6 October 2026.
- Staff were asked to address the identified gender imbalance in future commemorative naming and review and expand the names register.
- The request for further work passed 7-4, with Cr S Peterson absent.
- No particular place was renamed, and no timetable for the proposed approach was recorded in the minutes supplied.
- The Manager Engineering Services said duplicate entries represented different park entrances and would not skew the data.
Why it matters
- The proposed approach may shape future names for council parks, reserves, sporting facilities, buildings and other public places across the Orange Local Government Area, but no specific renaming has been approved.