Naming Bridges In High-Risk Areas To Boost Safety

Rail bridges in bushfire, flood prone, or isolated rural areas are being named to ensure local residents get the help they need, when they need it most.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan was in Huntly today to announce Ellis Bridge as the first bridge to be named by the Andrews Labor Government, and to launch the competition to find names for five Moorabool bridges.

Official bridge names are determined through a community nomination and vote under VicTrack’s Bridge Naming Competition.

Launched last year, the competition is designed to find names for bridges in ‘high-risk’ areas, so emergency services can locate them more accurately.

The success of the pilot competition in Huntly means five more high-risk rail bridges near Ballan, Navigators and Bacchus Marsh will now be named under the program.

The local community are invited to nominate names for the bridges, and have until the end of the year to do so.

Names must commemorate a local community member or event, and follow the criteria set out by the Office of Geographic Names (OGN).

Nominated names will be shortlisted by a panel including the OGN, local emergency services, Moorabool Shire Council and VicTrack, before the community votes on their favourite name from the shortlist early next year.

The bridges are at McCormack Road, Paces Lane and Browns Lane near Bacchus Marsh, Dunnstown Road near Navigators, and Portland Flat Road near Ballan.

To have your say on what you think your local bridge should be named, or for more information about the program, please visit victrack.com.au/bridge.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

“Many of these bridges are in dangerous and isolated areas – and by naming them we’ll make it easier and quicker for people to get the help they need.”

“We’re putting people first and giving the community the chance to be a part of history by having their say on what their local bridge should be known as.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard

“Many parts of our community are in high-risk areas and emergency services need all the help possible to locate people when the worst happens, which is exactly what this competition is designed to do.”