Community feedback heard in naming of local landmark

Baw Baw Shire Council has listened to the feedback of its community and has named a local landmark in Neerim South as Apex Lookout.  

At the September Council meeting this year, a Notice of Recission was lodged by three former Councillors in accordance with Council’s Governance Rules.  

At its meeting yesterday, Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the recission motion, which meant that the name ‘Apex Lookout’ will be recommended to remain as the official name of the popular Neerim South landmark. 

In April this year, Council hosted a community engagement where the community was invited to make a submission on a proposal to name this site 'Little Charli's Picnic Area and Lookout'.  

More than 50 responses were received during this process and the feedback was significant, with Apex Lookout the preferred option due to its historical significance and connection to place. 

The name also reflects work done at the site by the now defunct Neerim South Apex Club, who spent time and resources maintaining the site and contributing to the lookout, as it is today.  

Baw Baw Shire Council Mayor Cr Danny Goss thanked the community for their passion, and said this engagement demonstrated the reason that Council undertakes community engagement and seeks input from the people who are most familiar with our local places. 

“Through the results of the consultation period, it is clear that the community has a strong sense of appreciation and respect for the work done around Apex Lookout, and any change to the location's name could be seen as disrespecting the Apex Club's contributions,” Cr Goss said. 

East Ward Councillor Adam Sheehan is delighted with the outcome of this decision, and feels the endorsement of the name ‘Apex Lookout’ will leave a lasting legacy for the locals of Neerim South, as well as honour the views of the community.  

“The subject of the name of this site was part of long-term discussions at Council’s Place Names Advisory Committee, and a decision was made that would ultimately place the final naming of this site in the hands of our community, and this is a direction we like to take wherever we can,” Cr Sheehan said. 

Following endorsement of the official name of Apex Lookout, Council (as the official naming authority in this instance) will submit the name to Geographic Names Victoria for acceptance.