A Lake Macquarie councillor has asked council for more detail about a possible name change for Coon Island.
Deputy mayor Christine Buckley raised a question with notice at Monday's council meeting asking for details about improvements planned for Swansea's Coon Island, and about previous and future plans for consultation about the naming issue.
Coon Island is named after Herbert Greta Heaney, who lived on the island for many years and was nicknamed "Coon" because his face was often covered in coal dust.
"It's a sensitive issue," Cr Buckley said. "It was something back in those days that was accepted, but it's not accepted now and it's not appropriate now.
"A decision is going to have to be made in consultation with the wider community.
"The local Indigenous Elders have an important part to play in this discussion, and I'm aware that council has been in discussion with them and the local community for some time in regard to the matter."
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A council spokesperson said whileno decision on renaming had been made, council was interested in working with stakeholders further to explore the naming of the island as part of works proposed for the site in 2021-22.
"It is important for Council to consult with the community, including key stakeholders, when considering an issue such as the potential name change of Coon Island," the spokesperson said.
"Feedback gathered during this consultation period helps council staff form a recommendation to the elected council, which will then vote on the matter."
If council decides it wants to change the name, an application would need to be made to the NSW Geographical Names Board, which would then decide whether or not to change it.
Natural disaster clause
A clause allowing residents impacted by natural disasters to rebuild their homes under outdated planning controls will be introduced at Lake Macquarie.
Councillors voted to insert the optional clause, which was introduced by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment after the 2019/20 bushfires and floods, into the Lake Macquarie local environment plan.
The DPIE introduced the clause after receiving feedback that in some cases, where dwellings were originally approved under historical planning instruments, development consent could not be granted to reconstruct the dwelling under current planning controls.
The clause intends to eliminate the need for applicants impacted by a natural disaster to prepare formal requests to vary a development standard, such as minimum lot size provisions or demonstrate an existing use in circumstances where dwellings are no longer permitted in the relevant zone.
