Large signs have been propped up around homes in Berwick Springs, weeks after Ann-Marie Hermans said in Parliament that she was aiming to table the 2000-plus petition for debate.
On Tuesday, 19 August, the south-eastern metropolitan MP posted on Facebook her speech in parliament, requesting that “the Legislative council call on the government to revoke the unilateral renaming of Berwick Springs Lake”.
“[Also] implement proper local community consultation on any future naming decision regarding the lake found in the Berwick Springs Reserve.
“And investigate the process that led to the unilateral approval by the minister for planning,” she said.
This comes as signs, as large as those placed for homes set on sale, were placed on two homes that border the road on the lake.
Together, they read and detail the “170 years of local Australian history,” touching on the historic Springfield Homestead, the dairy farm owned by William Clarke in 1855, and Edwin Greaves’ eventual purchase of the 1620-acre land.
Despite months having passed since the initial announcement that Berwick Springs Lake now bore the name Guru Nanak Lake to honour Victoria’s Sikh population in November 2024, residents’ thoughts remain clear.
One resident who stopped to observe the sign told Star News that “I just don’t think it’s right”.
“I’ve been here for 11 years, and the lack of consultation, I just think it’s terrible and pathetic; the government’s got better things to do, you know?
“It’s a big step; the petition being sent to parliament, that should tell the politicians how the people feel,” they said.
Another man said that, as someone who migrated from Turkey some 40-odd years ago, he said that he is “well aware” of what “unfair politics” looks like.
“This is Berwick Springs, you know? We don’t want to favour any specific cultures or religions,” he said.
“There is no hate here; we don’t want to like one culture over another, because that’s what happened.”
Michael Ball, one of the founders of the Berwick Springs Community Group, said that the residents “are getting to the point where the residents want some answers”.
“We had the mayor of Casey saying there should have been consultation, we had Julian Hill MP saying there should have been consultation, so we’re not going anywhere.
“It’s important to recognise that this is not a reflection of the Sikh community themselves, we’ve had a lot of people from their community come to sign the petition.
“People think it’s just Michael Ball pushing the agenda, no, I’m representing the community,” he said.
