Concerns over expansion of Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Plans to expand Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park cemetery at Matraville has caused alarm for a parkrun group which uses the proposed site at Bumbora Point.
Southern Courier
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Plans to extend Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park cemetery in Matraville has upset a parkrun group which uses the proposed area of expansion at Bumbora Point.
A planning proposal was lodged with Randwick Council in June to expand the cemetery to include 3000 new burial plots across an estimated 3.4ha of land.
In late 2017, the cemetery lodged a proposal to rezone the land made up of mainly bushland at Bumbora Point but it has since lodged an adapted proposal.
Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries NSW, which operates Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, chief executive Matthew Youell said there was a growing need for more burial space in the area.
“SMC is seeking the area to be rezoned to provide for cemetery development to meet the growing need for affordable local burial services from our regional community.”
A letter sent to residents this year stated that the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment had estimated cemetery space in the eastern suburbs would be exhausted by 2024.
Mr Youell said crown land at Bumbora Point had been identified as the best place to expand, neighbouring the cemetery to the southwest.
“The proposal is to clean and develop the land into approximately 3000 new burial plots, with space for additional internment ash placements.”
He added the site would also include “public coastal parkland” with access to the beach for the community.
However, Kamay parkrun co-director Ken Harris said it could force them to abandon their running course which goes through the proposed site.
“It would mean that we would have to change the course or abandon it completely because they are proposing (to expand toward) the headland which is probably less than one kilometre into our course.”
The free parkrun has been going for about three years and involves on average about 75 people visiting the area each Saturday morning to take part and exercise.
“The entire back half of the course we would lose,” Mr Harris said.
He added that would make things far more congested if they were to shorten the course and run more laps, and would put pressure on them to abandon the area.
Mr Harris said they would be open to discussing possibilities of still using the course by accessing land operated by the cemetery, if the proposal goes ahead.
A Randwick Council spokesman said the application was being assessed but was yet to go before a planning panel.
“The proposal is currently being assessed by council staff who have requested additional information from the applicant.
“The matter will be reported to the Randwick Local Planning Panel (RLPP) for advice prior to being submitted to council to decide whether to proceed with the proposal and commence public exhibition.
“A site survey of the area has yet to be undertaken, however our initial estimates are the proposal would result in an additional cemetery area of approximately 3.4 hectares and public recreation area of 0.89 hectares.”
Proposals to expand the cemetery into the heritage Chinese Market Gardens have been rejected in the past on the eastern side of the cemetery.
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