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Cemeteries in Sydney: Cost of burials increases | List

Grieving families in Western Sydney are being slugged thousands of dollars just to buy the right to bury relatives in a Catholic-run cemetery. See the full list.

Bureaucratic cemetery takeover one of the most 'anti-religious' and 'hostile' acts in a long time

Grieving families in Western Sydney are being slugged more than $6800 just to buy the right to bury Nanna in a Catholic-run cemetery.

The Catholic-operated cemetery at Liverpool is the city’s most expensive, according to a state government review of cemeteries obtained exclusively by The Sunday Telegraph.

Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park at Matraville and ­Woronora Memorial Park are also among the priciest for ­interment rights, while burying loved ones in the Catholic section of Rookwood will cost you an extra $293 than the $3999 price for the general section.

The final Independent ­Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) report also highlighted operators are spending an average 23 per cent more on running ­cemeteries than they need to, feeding into higher burial costs for families.

The cost of burials in Sydney cemeteries has been revealed. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett
The cost of burials in Sydney cemeteries has been revealed. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett

The report has prompted the head of the state’s largest Muslim group to take aim at the Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, which is claiming the cost of burials will go up if they are cut out of running the city’s lucrative cemeteries sector.

“The IPART report clearly demonstrated that the ­Catholic Cemetery Trust is ­inefficient and one of the most expensive cemetery operators in Sydney,” Lebanese Muslim Association president Samier Dandan said.

“For this reason, the LMA can’t support the claims made … by the Catholic Cemetery Trust.”

The state government ­announced on May 25 they would be amalgamating the five trusts which run the city’s cemeteries into one government entity. The move sidelines the Catholic Church, which is the only remaining faith group left administering government cemetery assets.

The church is believed to be preparing a legal challenge once an administrator is ­appointed for their trust.

A Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust spokesman said the “use of Liverpool Cemetery as an example of inflated pricing is completely misleading as it was until recently managed and priced by a NSW government-run trust”.

“The Muslim Cemeteries Board work closely and effectively with the Catholic Cemeteries in the delivery of respectful cost effective burials for all Muslims,” he said.

Originally published as Cemeteries in Sydney: Cost of burials increases | List

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/nsw/cemeteries-in-sydney-cost-of-burials-increases-list/news-story/d35e7670a5eff7fe32d47d11f84ac88e