Report: Melbourne Officials To Drop AC/DC Street Proposal

Australia's The Age is reporting that the Melbourne City Council looks set to disappoint AC/DC fans by dropping a popular plan to honor the Australian rockers with a city street name.

Planning committee chairwoman Catherine Ng confirmed Thursday night (September 2) the council would consider other options next week, including a plaque on the footpath in Swanston Street.

AC/DC would be the first entry on an "honour roll" of renowned musicians with strong links to Melbourne.

Cr Ng said a Swanston Street plaque was more appropriate because AC/DC's strongest link to the central business district was the 1975 film clip for the classic track "It's A Long Way To The Top", which shows the band performing on a flatbed truck travelling down Swanston Street.
She also said a roll of honour would be more sensible than finding an alternative lane and having to search for an association between the lane and the band.

The proposed renaming of Corporation Lane, off Flinders Lane, was not welcomed by some property owners and businesses in the area, who argued AC/DC did not reflect the diverse character of the area, she said. But Bill Walsh, an AC/DC fan who runs a rock 'n' roll bar, Cherry, in Corporation Lane disagreed. He said the public response to renaming the lane had been overwhelmingly positive.

"Everyone I spoke to about it thought it was a great idea... people were already coming here (to the lane) to have their photo taken," he said.

Another vocal supporter, former Triple R broadcaster James Young, said that after proposing the name change, the council's compromise was akin to "offering supporters the world and giving them an atlas".

But the renaming is not dead yet, with some councillors last night vowing to hold firm.

"To put a plaque up instead sounds fairly weak-kneed to me... it just sounds crazy," said Cr David Risstrom of the Greens.

"We've had a proper consultation and I'll still be backing AC DC Lane," he said.

In July, the council decided to rename the lane AC DC Lane, subject to public consultation and other conditions. Public submissions were eight to one in favour of honouring the Australian rockers with their own laneway.