Rodney Stevens
The push to rename a street after Grafton’s first female Mayor Shirley Adams will continue by Clarence Valley Council after councillors unanimously supported a motion to seek approval to have the road renamed.
A Notice of Motion was unanimously supported at the September 2020 council meeting to name the roadway on the Summerland Way from the roundabout on Big River Way, South of Grafton to the traffic lights at the Clarence Street intersection ‘Shirley Adams Way’.
But when the name was revealed in December 2022, with great disappointment for the Adams family it was named ‘Shirley Way’, so Cr Karen Toms put forward a notice of motion at the June 27 council meeting to apply to have the road renamed, unaware that Cr Tiley had been working for months on getting the road renamed.
“The previous council moved a motion to name the area from the Big River Way roundabout near Bunnings across to the lights Shirley Adams Way,” she said.
Cr Tom’s said there was an unveiling of the name in December 2022 and with great disappointment it was named Shirley Way.
“I made an undertaking to Virginia and John Adams that I would take it further and I was unaware that the Mayor was also making enquiries with the roads minister,” she said.
“I think we need to take the politics out of this, and the community also want it to be Shirley Adams Way.”
The reason the name Shirley Adams Way was rejected, Cr Toms said was that the Geographical Names Board changed its policy restricting the use of a first or given name with a surname.
“One of the reasons they don’t like this is because they don’t want any confusion with Emergency Services with addresses on roads like this,” Cr Toms said.
Cr Toms said the Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, The Hon. Jihad DIB needs to be advised there are no houses on this section of Shirley Way, so it won’t cause any confusion for Emergency Services.
Cr Debrah Novak said she was supportive of Cr Tom’s motion which council will have on record and could refer to if the change is not made.
After debate about including a point 5 in Cr Tom’s motion to invite former council General Manager Ray Smith to make a submission to the minister regarding Shirley Adams, Cr Peter Johnstone put forward an amendment to remove that point, which was seconded by Cr Bill Day.
Speaking passionately against the amendment, Cr Tom’s said she didn’t make the point to embarrass former GM Mr Smith, she made it to give information about Mrs Adams and how wonderful she was in our community to the minister.
Cr Tiley spoke against Cr Tom’s motion saying he has been working with the government for months to get Shirley Way renamed Shirley Adams Way and he didn’t think a resolution from council was needed.
A 5 to 4 vote to adopt the amendment was carried, with Cr’s Greg Clancy, Bill Day, Peter Johnstone, Jeff Smith, Ian Tiley voting for the motion.
Councillors then voted unanimously to support the motion that council:
- seek a review of the Geographical Names Board Policy that restricts the use of a given or first names in conjunction with a surname.
- write to the NSW Surveyor-General (Chair) Ms Narelle Underwood and the Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, The Hon. Jihad DIB, MP to conduct the review.
- advise the Minister that there are no houses or infrastructure on the section of road named Shirley Way, that could cause confusion (or delay) for Emergency Services if it was named “Shirley Adams Way”.
- seek approval from the Minister to have “Shirley Way” renamed “Shirley Adams Way” as resolved unanimously by Council (resolution 07.20.013) September 2020 and supported by the broader community.