The Manor Lakes Residents Association has hailed a council decision that will bring Manor Lakes one step closer to being recognised as a suburb, saying it had the potential to end “years of confusion”.
As reported by Star Weekly, the council voted last week to write to the Office of Geographic Names seeking an exemption to state guidelines which prevent the estate from becoming a suburb.
The guidelines prevent suburbs from being named after businesses or commercial entities. Manor Lakes is a registered trademark of the Dennis Family Corporation.
The request also goes against the council’s own naming policy.
MLRA president Cedric Young said the council’s decision was in keeping with the wishes of residents.
A survey of Manor Lakes residents carried out by the residents’ association last February found that 90 per cent of people believed Manor Lakes should be its own suburb and not a part of Wyndham Vale.
“Everyone already calls it Manor Lakes anyway and it gets confusing,” Mr Young said.
“If you say to people that you live in Wyndham Vale, they ask where because it is such a big suburb. But when you say Manor Lakes, people know where that is.
“All the VicRoads signs say Manor Lakes. When we have visitors we tell them to follow the three signs for Manor Lakes once they leave Werribee.”
Critics of the proposal say that granting the exemption will encourage other estates to follow suit. But Mr Young said he did not expect that would happen.
“For example, Sanctuary Lakes is nowhere near the size of Manor Lakes so I don’t think they would ask to change from Point Cook.”
Council chief executive Kerry Thompson said while council officers had recommended that Manor Lakes remain part of Wyndham Vale, the council recognised that there were benefits to the new suburb being created.
She said changing the suburb would create a separate identity for residents and represented historic connections to the area.
