A stoush has broken out in one of Sydney's most affluent suburbs about a council's plan to change the name of the street the Russian consulate is on.
Woollahra Council wants to rename Fullerton Street to Ukraine Street as a symbolic protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A motion was passed by the council last month but the Geographical Names Board will have the final say on any name change.
The proposal came after countries like Norway, Albania, Latvia and Lithuania all renamed streets where Russian embassies or consulates are located.
In Sydney, the campaign was first championed by activist Ivan Pavlenko who is part of Russian-Australian community organisation, Svoboda Alliance NSW.
But the proposal has caused friction in the leafy suburb of Woollahra where a vocal group of residents fear a name change could have unintended consequences.
The opposing residents unreservedly sympathise with the Ukrainian people and condemn Russia's invasion but say they don't want their home addresses politicised.
To date, almost 700 people have signed a petition against renaming Fullerton Street.
The Woollahra Residents' Association have called the proposal "political tokenism" and accused the council of sidelining their constituents to act on behalf of the Ukraine Foreign Ministry.
Co-chair of the association, Charles Mendel, said the atrocities in Ukraine were "awful" but changing a street name some 15,000 kilometres away would do nothing but cause more conflict.
"Residents who happen to, through no fault of their own, live in a street that contains a Russian consulate do not want to be dragged into the conflict in Ukraine no matter how much they sympathise with the Ukranian people, and we do."
Mr Mendel says Fullerton Street residents don't want their street used as a political football and fear a name change would put them in implied conflict with the Russian consulate.
"The events in Ukraine are repugnant to human decency. But running off to change street names to provoke and spite the Russian consular staff and residents in that street is not the way mature people or councils behave or deal with these issues," he said.
The Ukrainian Council of NSW acknowledges a different name won't end the war but believes it will show Ukrainians the world cares and act as a "daily reminder of Ukraine's sovereignty" for Russian consulate staff.
Ukraine has a significant diaspora in Woollahra and the Russian consulate has been the site of pro and anti-Russian rallies since the Ukraine invasion in February.
The Consulate General of the Russian Federation says a name change would just be giving into a "political trend".
Robyn Collins, who has lived on Fullerton Street for 20 years, has made a submission against the change because she believes it will inconvenience a lot of people for no good reason.
"I am 100 per cent against (the plan) and not because I'm against Ukraine in any way but because changing the name of this street will mean nothing to the people in the bunkers in Ukraine who are freezing with the cold and have no food to eat," she said.
"If it was having an impact I wouldn't mind, I would support it totally, but I don't think it's going to have any."
Ms Collins is also convinced the Russian consulate would just relocate if the name change is approved.
However, Yvonne Cowell, who lives just off Fullerton Street, says all message of solidarity with Ukraine matter and the street should be renamed.
"It's not often that you can make a statement as a resident in the community... and we're supportive of the Ukrainians so this is small token towards that... not that it changes much," she said.
"The war is so upsetting, it seems so cruel and any statement from the community I think is most worthwhile."
But another neighbour group, The Queen Street and West Woollahra Association, believes the plan could set a dangerous precedent.
"In this instance most residents would agree that opposing the Russian war in Ukraine is a worthy political aim, but future street name changes could be proposed for far more contentious political ends."
Today is the final day the Woollahra Council is accepting community submissions on the proposal.
