By Laura Michell
Moorabool council has deferred making a decision on the renaming of the Elaine Recreation Reserve in honour of former chairperson, Ron Read.
As reported by Star Weekly, a petition from the Elaine Recreation Reserve Community Asset Committee (ERRCAC) to rename the reserve the Ron Read Recreation Reserve was accepted by Moorabool council in April.
“Ron was a tireless worker for every community event, from working around the reserve, tending to our beautiful trees, watering them when there were period of no rainfall for months,” the petition read.
Council lunched a 30-day community consultation process, during which 312 submissions were received.
A report to the July 3 council meeting stated that 82 per cent of submission were against renaming the reserve, with 255 people objecting. Council also received one petition against the proposal, which was signed by 113 people. Fifty-six submissions were in favour of the proposal.
Councillors opted to defer making a decision about the proposal until the next council meeting, in the hope of finding “middle ground” between supporters of the proposal and those objecting.
Joyce Read addressed the June 3 council meeting on behalf of ERRCAC chair Dianne Cook, saying the group was “surprised and saddened” by the lack of support for the renaming proposal.
She said Mr Read was responsible for a number of upgrades to the reserve and dedicated his time to bettering the ground over three decades.
She said some of Mr Read’s achievements during his time as ERRCAS chairperson included replacing the cubby house, refurbishing the undercover barbecue area, organising upgrades to the cricket pavilion, installing air conditioning in the cricket room and installing shade sails over the play space.
She said he was dedicated to resurrecting the reserve, which was so overgrown in 2001 that it faced being turned into grazing land.
Elaine Cricket Club secretary Shane Dunne, who created the petition against the renaming, was unable to address the council meeting due to technical issues.
In June, he told Star Weekly that honouring the legacy of one over the hard work of many would be unfair.
“There’s been many people over the years who have helped with the reserve. To name it after one person, I don’t think it’s the right way to go,” he said at the time.
