WHAT’S in a name?

Enough to send Blacktown residents to the polls after Blacktown’s Liberal councillors successfully moved for the region to vote on a name change.

Blacktown Council last night passed a recommendation for a referendum on the issue expected to take place during next year’s council elections.

The push for change was led by Ward 3 councillor Karlo Siljeg who said the name Blacktown no longer reflected the region.

Blacktown Council general manager Kerry Robinson revealed the cost of staging an election was in the vicinity of $1.2 million dollars.

Last week, Blacktown Council released information about a rebranding exercise recently undertaken at a cost of $130,000.

The rebranding included new logos, slogans and marketing direction for Blacktown Council

Cr Siljeg had earlier suggested the region and council be renamed West Sydney but stressed the suburb of Blacktown would not be changed.

He also moved the Blacktown CBD be rezoned as a new suburb and renamed.

“There are many people who live in the Blacktown LGA who don’t associate with Blacktown,” he said.

media_camera Blacktown Ward 3 councillor has led the charge for Blacktown Council to change its name.

“A name chance will help bring back a sense of association to the region.

“Our council area is large and diverse. We need to ask ourselves, ‘where will we be in thirty years and how do we want to market ourselves in the future?’

“The people need a chance to have their say.”

media_camera Blacktown Liberal Councillors Karlo Siljeg, Mark Holmes, Walter Smith and Isabelle White were behind a push to stage a referendum for a potential name change for Blacktown Council and the region.

Blacktown mayor Stephen Bali slammed the name change idea before Wednesday night’s meeting.

“It’s the most ridiculous thing I have seen,” he said.

“It doesn’t even mean anything. West Sydney means the entire western Sydney — it doesn’t even make logical sense.

media_camera Blacktown mayor Stephen Bali opposed the idea of name change for Blacktown.

“We have 332,000 people that live in the city of Blacktown and it’s their city of choice. If you don’t like the name, don’t come.

“I think the vast majority of people are happy with the name. To call it West Sydney, it has no identification. Every other council in western Sydney is going to be upset.”

COUNCILLOR'S PLAN TO CHANGE BLACKTOWN'S NAME TO WEST SYDNEY

PLAN TO ENTICE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO BLACKTOWN

A Blacktown Council spokeswoman said further details on any potential name change referendum would be released in the coming days.