Letter sent to Phil Cameron, CEO Whyalla Council

Dear Phil,

We appreciate the work done by some community members and the WCC in extending the date for submissions to the Government re the naming review of the Lowly Peninsula area. The Save Point Lowly group have serious; genuine concerns re this review, such as WCC not addressing the area named Port Bonython on the Surveyor General’s Rack Plan 935, and fiddling at the edges regarding the Point Lowly, Lowly North areas.

Clearly the area named Port Bonython has always been identified and referred to by people and countless documents as the Lowly Peninsula and / or Point Lowly. It is inappropriate to continue with the naming of a large area as Port Bonython. We insist that Council considers the importance of the naming of the Lowly Peninsula in relation to the heritage and ongoing image of our city and surrounds. Council should put a compelling case to government to include the Port Bonython area in the review and change the name to Lowly Peninsula or extend the boundaries of Point Lowly to include the Port Bonython area. Port Bonython naming should be restricted to the Santos facility area only.

We refer to your Media Release of 1 October 2009 titled Point Lowly / Port Bonython Geographical Names Clarification. It was an interesting title for a document – “Geographical,” as Save Point Lowly group were and always have been discussing the rural locality (Suburb) names, as opposed to the “Geographical” feature. The media release mentions that Port Bonython suburb / locality was originally gazetted to include the Santos petrochemical plant and marine facilities in 1983, yet no mention of what it was called before that.

Historical Maps - We have in our possession, historical maps of the area in question, dating from 1 October 1948, 10 July 1959 and 22 March 1976, respectively. All three maps refer to the area of land as “Lowly Point”. There is no reference to any form of the name “Bonython”. Place Names Online refers to the name for this area, ‘Lowly Point’ as appearing on ‘1877 Atlas Sheet 8’, some 100+ years prior to the use of the name Bonython. Other maps, earlier than these ones, shows the area was named Point Lowly.

Evidence Contradicts - As such, this contradicts the assertion on ABC Radio (Thursday 1 October) that, quote “the locality of Port Bonython has ALWAYS been Port Bonython since about 1983.” We find this to be an unfortunate use of the word ‘always,’ given that the statement fails to cover the previous 180 years from when it was first named by Matthew Flinders in 1802, including omitting acknowledgement of the previous years the area was referred to as “Lowly Point.” The inference to the residents of Whyalla that the area has ‘always’ been referred to as Port Bonython, when cartographical and historical evidence clearly states otherwise is incorrect.

Port Weeroona - Of further concern is the oversight in observing the original name intended for the Santos loading facility. We understand in 1982 the residents of Whyalla OVERWHELMINGLY wanted it to be called “Port Weeroona,” after the bay where the facility is located. The Geographical Names Board approved this name on 22 December 1982. Then, due to pressure from non-local groups, the name was rejected by the Tonkin Government and the area was renamed “Port Bonython” on 1 March 1983, against local wishes. We would be interested to know the reasons behind this name change.

Indenture Act 1981 - Even the Indenture Act associated with the Santos facility was originally called the “STONY POINT (LIQUIDS PROJECT) RATIFICATION ACT 1981.” Once again there is no mention of the name “Bonython,” this time in such an important document as the enabling Legislation/ Act for the Santos facility. Clearly, the name “Bonython” was only added as an after-thought.

Public Consultation - In the above mentioned media release, it is then confirmed that this area was later extended to include the landward area gazetted 6 June 1992. Regarding this change, we are interested in finding out what sort of public consultation occurred prior to the naming / gazettal of Port Bonython as the suburb locality name for vast bulk of the peninsula. Can you please provide an outline of the public consultation that was conducted in Whyalla, either by council or other government agencies? Please include details of meetings (where, when, how many attended, results of any polling), Media Releases, council newsletters, details of public displays in the foyers or libraries, etc.

Opportunity Lost - We are very disappointment to hear that the opportunity is not being taken during this joint WCC and Government naming initiative, to change the name of the area identified as Port Bonython to either Point Lowly or the Lowly Peninsula. This would correct the inappropriate naming by Government during the Santos development and take the community’s views into consideration. If retained, “Port Bonython” should be restricted the area covered by the Santos facility ONLY (i.e. not including the ‘exclusion’ zone). This would be a better name for the area and align with Government reasoning that Backy Bay should be called Backy Point. Quite simply, a Peninsula is NOT a Port. However, WCC should give due consideration to reinstating the original name of the Santos facility “Port Weeroona.” Obviously Santos would need to be consulted and agreeable.

Genuine Confusion - No wonder there is considerable public confusion, when Whyalla City Council’s own website, publications and committees ALL refer to this area as “Point Lowly Peninsula” – and not Port Bonython. This confusion is compounded by the fact DTEI’s own website uses the naming “Point Lowly Peninsula” (www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/ppld). We note from the transcript of your ABC Radio conversation on Thursday 1 October 2009, that you overlooked mentioning that you are a member of the “POINT LOWLY PENINSULA TASKFORCE” and so is Laraine Lerc and Greg Curnow, who also spoke. We can see how the mention of this would indeed have caused even more confusion, as people would wonder WHY there would be such a group, if the Council and residents of Whyalla usually identified the area as Port Bonython.

Zoning - According to the latest version of the Whyalla Zone Development plan (Feb 2009), the ‘triangle’ (labelled F) is zoned ‘Settlement’, yet the area Council wishes to subsume this triangle into, is zoned ‘Industrial’. If it is clarity and simplicity Council seeks in these matters, then the annexing of the triangle seems to add an additional & unwarranted layer of complexity. In effect this change of locality will result in three ‘settlement-type’ zones being split across three separate suburb localities, with each one being smaller than the last. Hardly simple or clear! As such, we reject WCC and the State Governments reasoning for the change of locality for the ‘triangle’.

Naming Conventions – Precedence exists for a name being used simultaneously as a location and a geographical feature, such as Cape York Peninsula. Cape York is located at the northernmost tip of Queensland, and as such is a destination in its own right. This sits on the Cape York Peninsula, a large geographical feature making up an iconic part of Queensland and Australia. Therefore, any inference that a locality cannot be named the same as a geographical feature will not be accepted as factual or applicable.

Community Support - The concerned people we have talked to, (we have over 1,200 contacts in one of our groups, and some 200 in another) recognize the name of the landmass between False Bay and Fitzgerald Bay as the Point Lowly Peninsula and NOT Port Bonython. Simply put, there is no evidence of community support for renaming this landmass “Port Bonython.” When we talk to Whyalla residents and suggest replacing the name Matthew Flinders gave the area in 1802, with the name of the man whose company is responsible for desecrating this previously pristine peninsula, the response is always a strong negative.

In conclusion - We again take this opportunity to thank Council for getting an extension to provide community feedback on this matter until 26th October 2009. We have a lot of support for the use of the name that Matthew Flinders gave to the area in 1802: “Point Lowly.” We request that the Council, both elected members and Management discuss this issue and put forward a united Council request to Government to achieve this outcome.

If you could get back to me at you’re earliest possible convenience regarding the previous naming (pre 1980’s), why the name Port Weeroona was dropped against community wishes and the public consultation details of the 1992 gazettal, that would be most helpful.

Lights back on

The Whyalla Council has turn the Point Lowly Lighthouse light back on with a dimmer yellow light