Douglas Park residents fight against proposed $20M cemetery

A western Sydney community has gone to extreme lengths to fight plans for a 27,000-plot cemetery on its doorstep to highlight perceived flaws in the $20 million project.

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Grand plans to build the biggest cemetery in the Wollondilly area has met fierce opposition from neighbours wishing to protect their rural backyards.

The proposed graveyard, to be located on 430-490 Douglas Park Drive, Douglas Park, has the potential to house 27,000 burial plots, with two chapels, an Islamic prayer room, mausoleum and more.

A group of residents took part in a mock funeral procession in a bid to highlight flaws in the graveyard proposal.

Residents have been united by their disgust of the proposed $20 million project going as far as conducting a mock funeral procession in a bid to highlight traffic concerns and the graveyard’s inadequate location.

Esteemed country music artist Paul Grierson is leading the protests, telling the Chronicle the proposal would change the “concept of home” for every resident in Douglas Park.

“As residents we are concerned for a number of reasons, not the least is the fact that this development would completely impinge on our ‘Rural Living at its Best’, which is Wollondilly Council’s catch cry,” he said.

“We are not just going ‘wah, wah, wah’ like a bunch of spoiled children,” he said. “These are real issues.”

About 40 cars took part in the mock funeral procession.

Concerns have also been raised about vehicle access to the 17ha site, impacts on existing wildlife and environment and the expected rise in noise levels.

A representative of Benima Pty Ltd, the company behind the proposed development, was unable to provide a comment to the Chronicle due to being overseas.

The Wollondilly Local Planning Panel will decide on the concept plans on December 12.