Gold Coast cemeteries rapidly getting closer to no vacancy as council plans for expansion

THE Gold Coast is set to run out of cemetery space within 20 years. So critical is the lack of land space that council is investigating options to find more space.

Southport General Cemetery is among those facing vacancy issues.

THE Gold Coast is set to run out of cemetery space within 20 years.

So critical is the lack of land space in three of the region’s eight cemeteries that a council committee has recommended to investigate options to find more space for graves across the city.

And the Mudgeeraba Cemetery is looking at expanding the cemetery into the nearby quarry. Community Services chair Bob La Castra said full details of the report will not be released until June.

The Southport Lawn Cemetery is about to be reconfigured to add additional plots. Photo: Luke Marsden.

However, as part of the recommendations, an allocated part of the Coomera cemetery has been earmarked as a dedicated Chinese burial site.

The region’s most popular cemeteries include the general and lawn cemeteries in Southport as well as the cemetery at Mudgeeraba. The problem is so extreme there, fees for a plot in those graveyards are $2937 for a plot compared to $2517 for a plot in Nerang, Pimpama, Alberton and Upper and Lower Coomera.

A city spokesman said that at this stage there were no plans to increase fees for existing plots but fees and charges were reviewed each year.

“The availability of grave sites is not an immediate problem however, future planning is under way to accommodate the changing needs of the city,” he said.

Mudgeeraba Lawn Cemetery is almost at capacity with monument spaces down to single digits.

The spokesman said land had been set aside at Pimpama to help with cemetery growth.

However Mudgeeraba-based councillor Glenn Tozer said capacity at Mudgeeraba is worryingly low.

“The capacity for monuments at Mudgeeraba is at single digits,” he said.

Cr Tozer said council had been reviewing the possibility of expanding the cemetery into the nearby quarry.

“We need to take a look at our options,” he said.

Councillor Glenn Tozer. Photo: Jerad Williams

Cr Tozer said cemetery space at Mudgeeraba was vital because of the large number of families who had been in the area for generations and had a connection to the area.

“We want to make sure those who live in the area can be buried somewhere their family and loved ones can visit them easily,” he said.

Southport-based councillor Dawn Crichlow said work was already being done to improve capacity at the Southport lawn cemetery.

“We are doing a reconfiguration of the area and it will give us another 140 spaces,” she said.

Cr Crichlow said she was confident the vacancies in Southport would be enough to cope with demand in the immediate future.

The full council will vote on the committee’s recommendations at a general meeting next Monday.