Mary Valley Pet Crematorium plans move from Kandanga to Amamoor

A thriving Mary Valley pet cremation business with a customer base that takes in the Sunshine Coast and South Burnett, wants a new permanent home ahead of the expected sale of its existing premises.

Mary Valley Pet Crematorium owner Matthias Lochthofen (inset) is asking Gympie Regional Council for permission to transform a block of land at Amamoor the council owns into the new home of the business, which has been running since late 2019 at a Kandanga Creek property.

A pet crematorium that has expanded its clientele beyond the borders of the Gympie region to the Sunshine Coast and South Burnett is now seeking a new home ahead of the expected sale of its existing premises.

Mary Valley Pet Cremation owner Matthias Lochthofen wants the green light from Gympie Regional Council to transform a block of council land at Amamoor into the new home of his business, which opened in late 2019 at a Kandanga Creek property.

Mr Lochthofen said in his application the crematorium was renting at that location and the possibility of its sale had driven him to find “a safe settled future” elsewhere.

He was planning for it to be at a wedge-shaped block along Diamondfield Rd, about 3km outside Amamoor and 20km south of Gympie.

Mary Valley Pet Cremation owner Matthias Lochthofen said the business was “part of rural life” and had helped grieving families.

Mr Lochthofen said the crematorium was “part of rural life” and had “a more advanced character” than what other options like farmers burning dead livestock or “let it go in a gully or pit”.

It also offered “ease of suffering to grieving pet owners in our community”.

The crematorium was easing pressures on the region’s dumps, he said.

“All vet clinics and mobile vets use our group cremation service and do not release dead bodies into landfill anymore.”

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Crematorium owner Matthias Lochthofen has proposed moving the crematorium to a block of land at Amamoor owned by Gympie Regional Council, with the plan to buy the land if it is approved.

“Grieving pet owners have widely praised our service which has led to a strong standing and high demand by our fellow residents inside the region.

“Mary Valley Pet Cremation works closely with all vet clinics in the district from Tiaro to Tin Can Bay, following inland Kin Kin towards Cooroibah with Cooroy and Pomona, and from Kenilworth to Kilkivan.

“Most recently we started to also offer our service to the vet clinics in the South Burnett as we received more and more requests from pet owners who would like to make use of our service.

“Previous to our service, the South Burnett was only offered a service from a large co-operation who are internationally owned and based in Brisbane.”

The new proposed home was near cattle grazing land, and the crematorium itself was “noiseless, smokeless, and odourless”.

“We have clear sight in all directions and expect excellent wind and fresh air supplies from and to all directions”.

The council has not made a decision on Mr Lochthofen’s application.