Gold Coast cemeteries full: Council investigates more options

Grave sites on the Gold Coast are at near capacity — and council must either increase fees, find a place for a new cemetery or explore an underwater burial ground for the dead.

GRAVE sites on the Gold Coast are at near capacity — and council must either increase fees, find a place for a new cemetery or explore an underwater burial ground for the dead.

A review by the council and a subsequent consultant report confirms the long held belief that the Glitter Strip, where the population expands by almost 15,000 people each year, is God’s waiting room.

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The Gold Coast needs more space for grave sites. Pic by Luke Marsden.

The council has been told it needs a 100-year plan to accommodate the city’s burial needs as the eight cemeteries in the region cannot cope.

“Grave sites within cemeteries are nearing capacity in some cemeteries,” the report said.

Councillors in a closed session discussed several options including:

* A “tiered fee structure” where a bigger fee is paid for the higher demand sites “which spreads demand throughout cemeteries”.

* Stopping lawn sections in cemeteries and changing to “beam sections” which contain just ashes and plaques rather than coffins.

* “Buy-back options” where residents who have pre-purchased or reserved sites were offered an “incentive” to surrender the plot.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the Coast total annual deaths increased from 3153 in 2011 to 3954 in 2017.

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Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow supports an underwater burial ground.

Demand on cemeteries is also increasing due to religious and cultural practices — the Greek Orthodox Church has concerns about limited capacity at the Southport general cemetery, and the Chinese section at Upper Coomera had “proven popular” since opening in 2017.

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Southport-based councillor Dawn Crichlow is strongly opposed to increasing fees, and supports the council continuing to investigate a memorial site in the Broadwater where cremated remains were either stored inside structures or mixed with concrete.

Grave sites already cost $2600 and a superior position at the Southport Lawn Section is setting back families more than $3000.

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Gold Coast City Councillor Glenn Tozer believes council will need a longer term strategy.

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“When you do put the fees up it disadvantages people,” Cr Crichlow said. “It’s tough at the moment, the way everything is.

“I would have supported an underwater burial ground, but it hasn’t gone anywhere with the artificial reef (project).”

The report suggests either a new cemetery in the south or expanding the existing one next to a waste transfer station. A redesign is being considered for some cemeteries.

Mudgeeraba is rated as one of the larger properties but most of the land remains unusable due to a steep hill and potential koala habitat.

But there were sections used by city maintenance and waste management which could become available in 2022.

“As much it’s not a pleasant thing to talk about, we’re an ageing city,” Mudgeeraba-based councillor Glenn Tozer said. “People are being born, and they are dying.

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The Mudgeeraba Lawn Cemetery — one option is to expand it.

“There’s an expectation that the city will provide some services around cemeteries.”

Cr Tozer acknowledged the city would in the longer term have to make a decision in the south on expanding the Mudgeeraba cemetery or looking for a new site.

“The medium-term planning is good. We need to look at a longer-term plan. It’s not the most attractive thing to have a cemetery (around their suburb). It’s important we consider the land uses around that area.”

The council report discusses a “strategy” to develop potentially two new cemetery areas — one in the south of the city and the other on existing land at Pimpama.

An extract of the council report made public noted that “few sites met the criteria”. The location of several others, not named, would be considered.

Before a further recommendation could be made to council, officers would consider site details like local flooding and vegetation protection.

“The alternative to this opportunity is to widen the GIS analysis to include privately owned properties. This would have the further implication of site acquisition costs.”

The Pimpama expansion includes three separate land parcels.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Pimpama locals have been dying at twice the rate of the rest of the Coast. Prostate cancer and melanoma rates are increasing among men.