Calling for comments on The Gemfields locality name change
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Posted on October 17, 2019
Residents of Anakie, Sapphire, Rubyvale have until the 13 December 2019 to make a submission to the Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy about the change of The Gemfields locality name.
Last year, in response to a petition from the Gemfields’ community, Central Highlands Regional Council commenced a special project to solve the area’s identity issue.
Around twenty years ago, the three townships of Anakie, Sapphire and Rubyvale were all placed within a single bounded locality called The Gemfields.
Over the years, the use of the one locality name has created many issues including mail delivery, wayfinding for tourists and, most importantly, problems for emergency service vehicles identifying properties.
Council facilitated a series of community meetings to discuss the problems and determine a new set of bounded localities, which required new names that could not be the same as the town names.
The town names of Anakie, Rubyvale and Sapphire will not change.
The bounded locality of The Gemfields will now become three: Rubyvale, Anakie Siding and Sapphire Central, but the town names will be the same.
The Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy is responsible for bounded locality changes and has advertised the proposed plan for public comment up to the 13 December 2019. To make a submission mail to Queensland Place Names, Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane Qld 4001 or submit online at www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/title/place-names/proposals-decisions