By Gary Adshead
City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamlin says the council is “stuck between a rock and a hard place” over East Rockingham Pioneer Cemetery.
Up to 20 Perth widows are now unable to be buried at the cemetery beside their husbands due to a technicality.
Sheila and Fred. Credit: Nine News Perth
Sheila Goble purchased two plots at the cemetery for herself and her dying husband Fred in 1998.
While the cemetery closed in 2009, a more recent move by the City to revoke a policy allowing people the right to be buried with family means Sheila can no longer use her lot beside her husband.
“Two weeks before he died – we knew we were losing the battle against cancer – I looked at him and I said, shall I go to the council and get us a plot? He said yes.
“My father died in ’72 – he’s buried there with my mother – we always knew that we were going to be in the same cemetery with my parents.”
Despite council policy and state government red tape now preventing new burials at the site, Mayor Hamlin hopes for a “compassionate solution”.
“For Sheila, 40 years is a long time to be married and of course she wants to be buried with her husband,” she said.
“We have to follow the legislation … but I’m hoping between the minister and Metropolitan Cemeteries Board we can get this right.”
Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley encouraged the city to continue liaising with the department.
Chantal Morgan’s mother also bought two plots for herself and her husband anticipating the cemetery’s closure to new burials in 2009.
“And then this year, in May, she received a letter from Rockingham Council stating that basically they wern’t going to honour her lease once it expired,” Morgan said.
Morgan, who also planned to be buried with her family, said the issue was more widespread than first thought.
“They said it affects 20 people, but from what I’ve read there are still 170 people with leases that will be due to expire within that timeframe,” she said.
“It’s really unnerving thinking that you’ve put all these plans in place, and you’ll be made to rest with your family, and then government bureaucracy turns around and says, well, no, you can’t do that.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, Premier Roger Cook sympathised with those affected and advocated for a “common-sense solution” but did not confirm any immediate actions.
“This is a situation which is very concerning,” he said.
“That’s why I’ve asked the minister for local government to work with both the City of Rockingham and those people.”
9 News Perth
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