LOSING THE PLOT

Grave fears for cemeteries as death rate rises nearly 30 per cent

THE Gold Coast’s graveyards are almost full thanks to a 30 per cent increase in burials.

To address the elephant in the tomb, the Gold Coast City Council has been asked to consider coffin-free zones, a new cemetery, an underwater burial ground, lifting plot fees, or to introduce a “buy back” scheme where the owners of sites surrender their plot for an “incentive”.

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.

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.

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 prepurchased 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. 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.

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.

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,” Mudgeerababased councillor Glenn Tozer said. “People are being born, and they are dying.”

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 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.

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

The Pimpama expansion includes three separate land parcels. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Pimpama locals were dying at twice the rate of the rest of the Coast. Prostate cancer and melanoma rates are increasing among men.