MidCoast Council will consider five options for a name that will be used for tourism purposes at the next ordinary council meeting.
The move is part of council’s Destination Management Plan where a name will be chosen to represent the entire region.
Taking advice from consultants, ‘Barrington Coast’ looks to be the frontrunner.
The idea of including ‘Barrington’ in the title is designed to showcase an area which is a high draw card to the region.
Other names on the table are Nature’s Coast, Adventure Coast and Lakes Coast.
Councillors Brad Christensen and Katheryn Smith took to Facebook on Friday, July 20 to get public feedback.
Cr Christensen’s post to Facebook group ‘You’re From Taree If...’ certainly riled up the community.
After one hour, he’d received dozens of responses.
Many stated that having ‘Barrington’ in the name would deter away from the Manning and Great Lakes.
“Barrington Coast, is just confusing. To be Australia’s Adventure Coast, we would need a lot more adventure like activity to be established,” wrote Todd Wiseman.
Some argued the promotion and advertisement of the brand would be a waste of council’s resources and cause confusion.
“Too many ‘branding’ names just makes for more confusion for tourists,” wrote Faye Kohlhagen.
“Why can’t we keep Manning Valley, Barrington Tops and Great Lakes localised for our tourism? Each area is different for tourism. We can still support all three areas without rebranding,” wrote Linda Page.
The vote will take place at council’s Wednesday July 25 meeting in Taree.
