Tasmanian Aboriginal groups want place names overhauled

The government is expected to release a final report on dual-naming mid-year.

The review drew the ire of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre who considered it a delay in the process of seeing more sites dual-named.

But the government defended its review and said it wanted to open the matter up for wider consultation.

The TAC did not participate in the review.

Most of the dual-names which exist in Tasmania are from the palawa kani language which the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation did not support as being the traditional language and believed it caused offence to sections of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.

"The language of the palawa kani is a reconstructed language that doesn't reflect the true Aboriginal language first spoken with the Circular Head region," chief executive Dianne Baldock said.

This position was supported by the Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Community Alliance.

"The status quo would mean that precious original place names would be whitewashed," it said in a submission to the review.

TRACA added it also supported the inclusion of a function within the state's Nomenclature Board to consider and replace all current place names offensive to Aboriginal communities.

The South-East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation chairwoman Janine Cowen said to get dual-name settings right, the state's regional groups needed to be consulted to ensure the Aboriginal name adhered to their respective language group.

She paid tribute to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre's previous efforts to revive Aboriginal place names but added it would have been better if regional groups were consulted over the development of palawa kani being used.

"When reviving language and requiring all Aboriginal groups to use this language across the state, it is only decent to get endorsement from these local groups," Ms Cowen said.

The review commenced in November 2017.