Mayor says more than 100 people at Ouse meeting to voice dissent at Anglican Church’s fire-sale plan

TASMANIAN parishioners keen to alter the Anglican Church’s asset sell-off plan are hoping the funds can be found elsewhere within the ministry.

UPDATED: THE community of Jericho is resigned to losing its beloved 135-year-old church but will fight tooth and nail to keep its cemetery.

About 50 people packed into Jericho Town Hall on Tuesday night for the second Save Our Community Soul public meeting to help save the township’s St James’ Church and the cemetery.

The new resistance group — formed to legally challenge the planned sale of church properties to fund redress scheme commitments for victims of sexual abuse — held its first meeting at Ouse on Monday night.

Claremont woman Chris Burke said she had four generations of family buried in the Jericho cemetery and its sale would be upsetting.

“I think the church is being pretty greedy,” she said.

“They have abused children in their care and now they want to abuse the community and want us to pay for it.”

Dianne Stokes, of Ulverstone, left, and Chris Burke, of Claremont, who both have relatives buried in the St James’ Church cemetery. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

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After the meeting, Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee said the community accepted the church building would have to be sold because it had been deconsecrated.

“What the community wants to do is preserve the cemetery,” Cr Bisdee said.

“There are a lot of local, pioneering families that have graves there.”

He said the community also vowed to retain nearby St John the Evangelist Church at Lower Marshes.

“They wish to retain the church and will approach the Anglican Church with a view to purchasing the building and the cemetery,” Cr Bisdee said.

Tasmanian parishioners eager to avert the Anglican Church’s asset sell-off plan are hoping funds can be found elsewhere within the ministry.

Established in Campbell Town on Thursday, the Save Our Community Soul group will fight the sale of churches and cemeteries as a statewide issue.

The Anglican Church says it is ready to listen to requests that church buildings be spared from the fire sale — and it has pushed back by a month a deadline for responses.

In June, the church’s Tasmanian synod voted to sell 108 of its properties, including 76 churches, to help fund a redress scheme.

Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt said Monday night’s meeting at Ouse was a positive step in stopping the sale of church properties.

“There’s a feeling of consensus that the money needed for the redress scheme can be raised without selling church properties,’’ she said.

“There are other ways to find that money, including looking at money within the ministry.”

Attorney-General Elise Archer speaks to the crowd at Monday night’s meeting in Ouse regarding sale of Anglican churches and properties. Picture: ROBERT CASSIDY

Attorney-General Elise Archer, who addressed community members at the Ouse meeting, said a draft amendment Bill covering issues pertaining to the church property sales would be circulated for public consultation.

“We’re aiming to have that draft Bill done by mid to late September and all submissions will be taken into account,” she said.

Ms Archer said the State Government could not block the sale of any church.

“The Government’s sense of duty is really over the Burial and Cremations Act. It’s to do with the cemetery component of any sale of the church,” she said.

Tasmanian Bishop Richard Condie last week released guidelines allowing for requests that a building not be sold or that a building be transferred to a community group.

A public rally is planned for Campbell Town on August 26.

EARLIER: TASMANIAN parishioners eager to avert the Anglican Church’s asset sell-off plan are hoping the funds can be found elsewhere within the ministry.

The new resistance group — formed to legally challenge the planned sale of church properties to fund redress scheme commitments for victims of sexual abuse — held its first meeting in Ouse last night.

Established in Campbell Town on Thursday, the Save Our Community Soul group will fight the sale of churches and cemeteries as a statewide issue.

It comes as the Anglican Church says it is ready to listen to requests that church buildings be spared from the fire sale — and it has pushed back by a month a deadline for responses.

In June, the church’s Tasmanian synod voted to sell 108 of its properties, including 76 churches, to help fund a redress scheme.

Five of six Anglican churches at Hamilton are among a string of Central Highlands properties listed for sale.

All Central Highlands properties listed are still operational, and many residents are unhappy about the potential sale of their local churches.

Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt said last night’s meeting in Ouse was a positive step forward in stopping the sale of church properties.

“Last night’s meeting was an excellent gathering of well over 100 people who all seemed to be on the same page,” Cr Triffitt said.

“It gave the community the opportunity to be updated and the chance for the community’s concerns to be heard.

“There’s a feeling of consensus that the money needed for the redress scheme can be raised without selling church properties.

“There are other ways to find that money, including looking at money within the ministry.”

The crowd at last night’s meeting. Picture: ROBERT CASSIDY

Cr Triffitt said the community was distressed at the actions of the Anglican Church.

“I am dismayed at what seems to be a money-grabbing exercise by the Anglican Church,” she said.

“Instead of raising the approximate $8 million required for the redress they aim to sell off community assets and raise approximately $20 million.

“I am highly concerned that Bishop Condie has already committed funding from the new ministry development fund.

“On one hand Bishop Condie and the Anglican Church are saying they will extend their deadline for submissions, and on the other hand the Bishop has already committed funding from the ministry development fund for a new position for the Circular Head parish.

“I applaud the Circular Head area for working through their needs and wants. My comment is not about that. My comment raises the concern that the submission process is looking like rubber stamping community consultation, specifically based on the fact of the Bishop committing funding from a fund, that to my understanding, is unfunded until the sale of churches, land and other assets.

“I commend the Catholic Church and other demoninations in not following the path of the Anglican Church.”

State Attorney-General Elise Archer, who addressed community members at last night’s meeting, said a draft amendment Bill covering issues pertaining to the church property sales would be circulated for public consultation.

“We’re aiming to have that draft Bill done by mid-late September and all submissions will be taken into account,” she said.

“This process has highlighted that there are inadequacies in the legislation, that it does need to be reviewed and improved to ensure that if any of these sales proceed, all issues are adequately taken care of as best we can.”

Ms Archer said the Government couldn’t block the sale of any church.

“The Government’s sense of duty is really over the Burial and Cremations Act. It’s to do with the cemetery component of any sale of the church,” Ms Archer said.

“We can’t intervene in the sale of a church that is currently owned by churches. It is not the

Government’s role to intervene with any sale.”

Tasmanian Bishop Richard Condie last week released information to help community members

provide feedback about the proposed sales.

Dr Condie said the guidelines allowed for requests that a building not be sold or that a building be transferred to a community group.

“In the interests of good process, we have extended the deadline for community feedback from 1 September to 1 October, to allow more time for community groups to consider their options,” he said.

The Central Highlands Council has organised two community meetings this week to discuss the proposed sales in the region — the Ouse meeting on Monday and at Bothwell tonight.

A public meeting will also be held at Jericho tonight.

Ouse resident Scott Ashton-Jones welcomed the Anglican Church’s decision to push the deadline back.

“That’s useful, and it acknowledges the fact that this has not been well considered in terms of the ability of the parishes to react on time, nor the ability of parishes overall to muster their thoughts and co-ordinate their reactions to this move,” Mr Ashton-Jones said.

“There is growing concern that the church has gone off to propose this course of action without due consideration of … the effect such a move would have on the community at large and in the Central Highlands, Southern Midlands, and Derwent Valley.”

A public rally is planned for Campbell Town on August 26.