A petition brought to the Victorian Parliament to reverse the renaming of Berwick Springs Lake to Guru Nanak Lake has caused a major divide in the Liberal Party.
A number of Berwick Springs residents came along to support MP Ann-Marie Hermans who presented the petition to the Upper House on Wednesday 15 October, but no other Liberal MP backed her motion.
During her opening speech, as residents nodded in agreement, Hermans argued that the decision to rename the lake did not properly involve consultation with Berwick residents.
She said the renaming by the Labor State Government had caused social fragmentation within the community despite its intention to recognise a religious Sikh leader.
“This government showed complete and utter disrespect for this community when it came out and decided…to change the name of the lake without consulting the community,” said Hermans.
“This is not about hate. It is not about race or religion. It is about a lack of consultation.”
But Hermans was left in the lurch, as other MPs stood united and spoke about the deep historical ties the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, has to the community and what it means to recognise the contribution of Sikhs to Victorian society.
Labor MPs including Ingrid Stitt, reaffirmed the support for the renaming of the lake and championed the decision as honouring the philanthropic work of the Sikh community.
“Sikh Victorians contribute to every part of our state in health, education and business and to the work of charity and volunteerism,” said Stitt.
“It stands as a symbol of the harmony that we continue to build and of our deep gratitude to Sikh volunteers for their ongoing contribution to our shared story.”
Dr Harpreet Singh Kandra, a prominent and senior member of the Sikh community, told Star News that the intention behind the renaming was to share the core principles of “caring, equity and equality and earning an honest living”.
The Sikh community was told by the state government that consultation with some stakeholders had taken place, Dr Kandra said.
Following the debate, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan signified her support for the outcome of the motion and remarked on the divide between the Liberal Party.
“Under huge pressure from the community, the flip-flopping Liberals have voted against their own petition that called for Guru Nanak Lake to be cancelled,” she said in a media release.
The dispute over the renaming of the lake has lasted for nearly a year, where in November of 2024 a 600-strong protest against the name change was attended by Opposition leader MP Brad Battin at Berwick Springs estate.
Michael Ball, president of the Berwick Springs community group who oversaw thousands of signatures that brought the petition to Parliament, says that the decision by the MPs was what he expected and that he just wanted “a little bit of accountability”.
Ball says he found it “offensive” that some Labor and Liberal MPs alluded that the Berwick Springs community was against multiculturalism and inclusivity of the Sikh community.
“For politicians to play this racial card of division is unacceptable,” Ball said.
But despite the Legislative Council’s mostly unanimous decision, Ball’s work on this matter is not over yet.
In light of the petition outcome, he’s now hoping to meet with Dr Kandra soon for further discussion.
Hermans has also tabled a petition for the Legislative Council to investigate the consultation process that led to the approval of the renaming.
It also submits to “revoke the unilateral renaming of Berwick Springs Lake” and to “implement proper local community consultation” for any renaming decisions of the lake.
