'Australia’s cool capital': Canberra votes on new number plate slogan
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Version 0 of 1. Canberra has put its next number plate slogan – and its status as “Australia’s cool capital” – down to a vote, with close to 2,000 suggestions whittled down to a shortlist of ten. The territory government received 1,875 suggestions for catchphrases when it invited Canberrans to submit their ideas for six weeks from early September. A panel of judges selected ten finalists to put to a vote of Canberra residents. Voting opened on Thursday on the ACT government website YourSay, which requested voters’ give “a couple of demographics to ensure we are getting votes from a cross section of the Canberra community”. The final ten are: Ngunnawal Country Australia’s meeting place CBR – an active city CBR – a city of diversity CBR – driving the nation CBR – green and clean CBR – brilliant possibilities CBR – for all seasons Canberra – the bush capital CBR – Australia’s cool capital “Canberrans outdid themselves” with their suggestions, said the government on its website, with the shortlist a reflection of “the range of suggestions put forward by the community and support pride in our great city”. Voters were also asked to choose which of the five ACT number places currently in circulation to keep, choosing from “Canberra, the nation’s capital”, “Canberra – heart of the nation”, “Canberra – age friendly city”, “Feel the power of Canberra”, and one showing an image of Parliament house. As at September last year, the grimly prosaic “Canberra, the nation’s capital” was “overwhelmingly” the most popular, with “Feel the power” maligned by the public after its inclusion in an advertising campaign to promote the city by Kate Carnell’s government in 1998. “Age friendly” was only added in 2015, and is already at risk of being retired. A poll on the Canberra Times’ website suggested, of the current shortlist of ten, “Canberra – the bush capital” was far and away preferred by readers, capturing 37% of the vote at time of writing. “Driving the nation” and “Ngunnawal Country” were close at second and third place. From today until 26 January, Canberrans can vote for one new ACT numberplate and to retain one current plate. https://t.co/MYZdAth1FM #CBR pic.twitter.com/DQpQyIqsk7 Andrew Barr, the chief minister, had articulated his desire for Canberra to supercede Wellington, New Zealand, as the “coolest little capital in the world” in an opinion piece published in February 2015. “Despite my admiration for Wellington, I know Canberra has the potential to be even better.” On Thursday he retweeted a BuzzFeed Australia journalist’s suggestion that Canberrans vote for “Australia’s Cool Capital” “just to piss of [sic] SYD and MELB” (but not her earlier tweet that it was “surely the worst” of the ten). Alternative ideas put forward on social media were less than complimentary of the would-be “cool” and/or “bush” capital, with SBS’ Insight host Jenny Brockie remarking on Twitter that “city of diversity seemed “a bit of a stretch”. “Canberra: Close to Sydney,” proposed one Fairfax Media journalist. “Canberra – Not Syria,” said another user. “There’s one that’d be ok.” Canberra - capital punishment That should be the number plate slogan. Canberra: We have Questacon #ACTnumberplate #Canberra Is "Canberra: Where everyone's just going round in circles" too long? https://t.co/L1wC6l2PA1 Voting will close in four weeks’ time, at midnight on Thursday 2 February, with the successful slogans announced in March. The new number plates will be available later in the year. |