The Dunedin City Council is to consult the public on new road names around the Forsyth Barr Stadium - but not before suggesting a few of its own.
Councillors at yesterday's infrastructure services committee meeting considered a staff report outlining several possible names for new or realigned roads around the stadium.
The report, by council land information team leader Rob Garrett, suggested naming the new section of State Highway 88 as part of the existing Ravensbourne Rd, while dividing the remaining sections of Parry St - either side of the stadium site - into Parry St "East" and "West".
Existing stretches of Union St and Ravensbourne Rd, near Logan Park, would be renamed as an extension of Anzac Ave, despite a questionmark over whether the change would dilute the name's historic meaning, Mr Garrett said.
A new road being built to access Magnet St and the nearby marina would be named Neptune St, after the World War 2 cruiser - lost with the lives of all but one crew member - which had Otago links.
All suggestions aimed to stimulate public debate during consultation, with results then to be presented to the committee for consideration, Mr Garrett said.
However, councillors were quick to express their views yesterday, and immediately moved to change Parry St East to Gambia St, after another of the World War 2-era cruisers, and Parry St West to a simpler Parry St.
Cr Kate Wilson also suggested the new section of SH88 be named "Carisbrook Rd" or "New Carisbrook Rd" to link the city's old and new stadiums, but Cr John Bezett said public consultation should come before councillors' "pet names".
That did not stop stadium critic Cr Lee Vandervis from suggesting Parry St be renamed Farry St, in an apparent swipe at Carisbrook Stadium Trust chairman Malcolm Farry.
"At this point I think we will leave the creative thinking to the wider community," committee chairman Cr Andrew Noone ruled in response. Mr Garrett later told the Otago Daily Times the consultation schedule was yet to be confirmed, but should begin within weeks, with results presented to the committee meeting on June 14.
Affected property owners would also be contacted directly, ahead of wider public consultation, Mr Garrett said.
