The cricket grounds at Centennial Park will be renamed after 'Mr Cricket' Brian Martin.
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The decision to rename the cricket ground was voted on at the Ordinary Meeting of Wingecarribee Shire Council on September 9.
Matthew Watson addressed council in the visitor items portion of the meeting to put a case forward to rename the cricket ground after Brian Martin.
Mr Watson said the proposal to rename the cricket ground after Brian Martin dated back to last year.
"Brian led the redevelopment of the oval 12 years ago. The oval was derelict. The civil works, the installation of the pitch, the nets, the fencing have Brian's fingerprints all over it," he said.
"Brian is known for his maintenance and coaching year in and year out, volunteering his time without charging.
"It is also the home ground of Bowral Blues Cricket Club which Brian has run for many years."
Mr Watson said the response and support to rename the cricket ground inside Centennial Park was overwhelming.
"When you combine the initial written support, the petition support and social media support [to rename it the Brian Martin Oval], we are talking about support in the hundreds," he said.
"We want to be clear, we have never asked Centennial Park to be renamed. Our ask is that the oval within Centennial Park is renamed after Mr Martin.
"Council staff had advised us from the outset that council has jurisdiction to name facilities or infrastructure within a reserve after people who are still alive.
"Please remember that the community has spoken in favour of this."
Councillor Ken Halstead moved option three as the motion which was to approve the request from the Bowral Blues Cricket Club to name the cricket grounds at Centennial Park Brian Martin Oval.
The recommendation was seconded by Councillor Garry Turland.
Cr Halstead spoke in favour of the recommendation.
There's a common phrase used, 'no brainer', and this is one of them," he said.
"This is an absolute classic case of something that should be supported strongly. The community supports it, the cricket [community] has overwhelmingly supported it.
"I have great admiration for this individual."
Councillor Peter Nelson spoke to the motion and said he was a little concerned about a second name for the park.
"There's an issue there for emergency call outs," he said.
"But I am happy to support option three, I was taken aback by the amount of support and for that reason, I am happy to support it."
Councillor Ian Scandrett said he didn't want to cast a shadow over Mr Martin but was worried that council didn't have a firm naming policy in place just yet.
"I note Cr Nelson's point about name clarity for emergency purposes," he said.
"In the case of ovals, it is absolutely essential that [the name] is quite clear because of helicopters and the like and evacuations.
"I'll be voting against this, not against the proposed recipient but because the timing really should sit behind the policy and all strategies."
Councillor Grahame Andrews said he wouldn't support the motion.
"Bowral Cricket Club opposed this, as did the Highlands [District] Cricket Association," he said.
"As a sports administrator, without that support, I would struggle to support any application in regard to this matter.
"Augustus Neich and the Neich family gifted this property to the community of Wingecarribee many years ago.
"It would be more appropriate to name the oval after this family."
Councilor Garry Turland also recognised that the property was gifted by Augustus Neich in the early 1900s but was happy to support the Brian Oval cricket ground.
"I think and probably not right now but in the future, we put a motion forward to change the name of Centennial Park to the Neich Park with the Brian Martin Oval inside," he said.
Mayor Duncan Gair said he would support the motion.
"Way before Christmas, I met with the Bowral Blues in relation to their suggestion," he said.
"I believe that if sporting clubs wish to acknowledge someone they feel is worthy of recognition, it is not for me to comment.
"It was unfortunate that the naming policy was coming forward in that time frame. This application was brought forward before the policy was totally formulated and as such I will be supporting it."
Councillors Ken Halstead, Garry Turland, Larry Whipper, Peter Nelson and Mayor Duncan Gair voted in favour to rename the cricket ground in honour of Brian Martin.
Councillors Ian Scandrett, Graham McLaughlin and Grahame Andrews voted against it.
The other two options were:
Option one: That the request from the Bowral Blues Cricket Club to name the cricket grounds at Centennial Park, Bowral be rejected on the grounds that it fails to comply with the Geographical Names Board Policy Place Naming.
Option two: That the request from the Bowral Blues Cricket Club to name the cricket grounds at Centennial Park, Bowral in honour of Brian Martin be placed on public exhibition for a period of 28 days.
That following the public exhibition, the proposal to name the cricket grounds at Centennial Park, Bowral in honour of Brian Martin be presented back to Council for resolution.
That if approved, the naming proposal be submitted to the Geographical Names Board for determination.
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