By Corey Everitt
Officer Recreation Reserve will be renamed in honour of Rob Porter with Cardinia Shire Council approving a plan to begin the process.
With the first general meeting of the year and the first meeting of the council since the passing of Rob Porter in December 2023, emotions were high in honouring the Officer icon.
To further solidify his legacy, the council put forward a motion to begin the process of renaming the reserve in honour of him.
The motion was moved by Cr Colin Ross.
“I think this is one of the easy things that could be done honouring a man, a giant of a man,” he said,
“This is a man who basically nurtured every blade of grass on that ground probably a thousand times.
“When we are long gone, no one will ever remember who moved the motion, who voted for the motion or anything like that, what people will remember is in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years or 50 years when we are all dead, that it is called the Robert Porter Reserve.
“Everyone who goes to play on that reserve, they are going to the Robert Porter Reserve and I think it’s the just thing that could be done with the reserve.”
A precise name is not proposed, only the process to begin renaming in Mr Porter’s honour.
Cr Ross and seconder Cr Tammy Radford explained their various liaising with the reserve’s Community Asset Committee who have been in close contact with Carol Porter and the Porter family on the matter, who are reported to be in support of the renaming.
Cr Radford explained that the asset committee had passed two motions, the first in support of the renaming and the second calling for the Porter family to be the consultant on a preferred name.
The asset committee also called for the decision making body, Geographic Names Victoria, to fast track the process by dismissing the usual waiting period for the renaming to occur as soon as possible. The committee also affirmed that the RG Porter Social Rooms on the reserve will retain its name in the event of the reserve being renamed.
The motion was carried unanimously.
