Brian O'Connor

Question 1

We are told that Noosa Shire is experiencing a housing shortage, but I wonder whether is extends beyond death? The Tewantin Cemetery is not accepting any more prospective guests in repose and the council has given up land set aside for expansion of the Cooroy Cemetery for use as affordable housing for the living instead. At Pomona, the dead are buried beside the rubbish at the adjacent waste disposal facility. Given Noosa Shire's growing and ageing population, what current and future planning is the council undertaking to ensure sufficient land is reserved for burials and for niches containing cremated ashes, or even so-called 'natural' burial sites, now creeping into favour?

Response from Kerri Contini Director Community Services

Thank-you for your question and interest in the cemetery services Council provides. Council operates three cemeteries at Tewantin, Cooroy and Pomona. To clarify, although I’m sure Mr O’Connor was being tongue-in-cheek, people are not buried beside rubbish at Pomona Cemetery. Our Pomona Cemetery is a beautiful garden sited cemetery surrounded by trees with a 200m vegetation buffer between the cemetery and the waste transfer site. Council officers are currently undertaking the research and analysis stage to develop a Cemeteries’ Plan to guide the future internment needs for Noosa residents. This includes understanding the impacts of changing trends which is broadly seeing a reduction in demand for traditional burials and an increase in requests for ashes internment, memorial plaques and contemporary offerings such as green burials. This Plan will guide requirements for land requirements.

Question 2

Noosa and Gympie councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that aims to explore efficiencies in waste management and potential cost-sharing arrangements across the two-council area. Would this be a model for cooperation on possible development of a management model for establishing a regional cemetery in the hinterland serving a wider catchment area?

Response from Kerri Contini Director Community Services

Thank-you for your additional question. Council is researching a range of options for the planning of future cemetery needs. Regional models for service delivery can be very effective in relevant scenarios however we would need to investigate a range of factors such as land availability, community willingness to travel to a regional cemetery and importantly priorities of our neighbouring Council before considering whether that would be appropriate for cemetery services. We do meet with cemeteries’ staff from other Councils in Southeast Qld each month to share knowledge, trends and approaches which supports a strong public cemeteries’ sector.