The Territory Labor Government hosted an Aboriginal Place Naming Forum in Alice Springs this week to hear directly from the community regarding their experiences, needs and expectation around the use of Aboriginal languages in place names across the Territory.

The naming of places in the Northern Territory is important to preserving and commemorating the Northern Territory’s history, culture and its people.

This Government is focused on ensuring that places across the Territory recognise and elevate Aboriginal identity, language and history in the everyday.

An important component of this is engaging with the community across the Northern Territory to develop and enhance Aboriginal place naming practices.

The Forum coincides with a regional meeting of the Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory as well as a meeting of the national Permanent Committee on Place Names.

The national Permanent Committee on Place Names is carrying out a review of the national ‘Principles for the Consistent Use of Place Names’, a set of national principles and practices for place naming.

Quotes from the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory Labor Government promised to elevate our Aboriginal heritage to make it a part of the everyday, and the naming and renaming of places is one way of doing this. It also highlights our Government’s strong agenda on local decision making.

“2019 is the ‘International Year of Indigenous Language’ and it is only right that we continue to develop and work with Aboriginal people on place-naming practices in order to acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal people, their history and their culture.

“We are listening to the community - once feedback is received, the Place Names Committee will develop a priority dual and Aboriginal place naming list in consultation with communities.

“I thank all of the local government councils and organisations for being so supportive because it’s important that we engage with the community right across the Northern Territory to further develop and enhance our current practices - this is a good example of how communities can be involved in their planning system.”