- Published:
- Tuesday 13 September 2016
Victorians are being asked to contribute to the naming of a new Regional Park in Ballarat.
The 641ha Canadian Regional Park was created through a successful community campaign to retain the plantation land for recreation and community purposes.
As the new land manager, Parks Victoria is honouring the community spirit of the park by consulting residents at all stages of park planning and delivery.
The park is located within the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung people, who have built a deep relationship with the area and a rich cultural tradition over thousands of years.
To acknowledge this important local cultural history and custodianship, as well as to celebrate the new park, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and Parks Victoria are proposing the new name of ‘Woowookarung’, meaning ‘place of plenty.’
People are invited to provide comments on this proposal for the new name of Woowookarung Regional Park for the former Canadian forest and plantation, known currently as ‘Canadian Regional Park.’
Comments can be submitted until 14 October 2016, online at www.parks.vic.gov.au/woowookarung
Quote attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“This is a tremendous opportunity to give a new name to Canadian Regional Park which acknowledges its location in Wadawurrung country.”
Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard
“I encourage locals to get involved and support the proposed new name of the park, which reflects its traditional history and the opportunities for people to enjoy the benefits of the park.”
Quote attributable to Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson Bryon Powell
“Woowookarung embodies the spirit and the history of this place, which provided food, medicine, water, shelter and raw materials for Aboriginal people. In Wadawurrung language Woowookarung aptly means ‘place of plenty’.”