Friends of Organ Pipes National Park (FOOP) is calling for the waterway known as ‘Tame Street Drain’ to be officially renamed a creek.
The small country waterway makes its way over 10 kilometres from Diggers Rest into the national park.
FOOP member Robert Irvine said the word ‘drain’ brings connotations of a rubbish-strewn, man-made, concrete structure.
“It’s not just a drain. It’s a waterway for wildlife so it should be valued for the environmental value whereas a drain gives you the thought of just bottles and stuff washed down, not worthy of anything, whereas we think it is,” he said.
Mr Irvine said he visited Tame Street which is about 10 kilometres from the national park.
“[Tame Street] a dead end street where the still water just goes into a depression and it runs over open farmland, and so we just thought [the waterway] really is worthy of something better than being called a drain,” he said.
A Melton council spokesperson said as the Tame Street Drain spans Melton and Brimbank, any proposal to rename it would require involvement from both councils.
“Melton City Council currently has no plans to rename Tame Street Drain,” the spokesperson said.
“Renaming of a topographical feature such as the Tame Street Drain is overseen by Geographic Names Victoria (GNV).
“In considering a request to GNV for renaming, council would generally undertake community consultation to ensure the proposed change is supported by local residents and stakeholders, and a decision may also be required by council.”
