Funeral service wins appeal for crematorium
Twentymans Funeral Services has won an appeal to install a cremator in Grahamstown, Thames.
However, those against having a crematorium in the business district say they won’t give up the fight to stop it going ahead and have more protests planned.
Twentymans lodged an objection after a certificate of compliance for the crematorium was refused by Thames Coromandel District Council in July.
Council had appointed an independent planning commissioner to assess and advise whether a certificate of compliance could be issued for human and cremators at the Queen St site.
Twentymans owner and managing director Adrian Catran said winning the appeal was a bittersweet legal victory.
The process had cost him $40,000 and was a ‘‘frustrating and costly delay by a risk-averse council’’, he said.
‘‘Despite the protestations of a very vocal minority, the need for a locally operated cremator in the Thames area is paramount,’’ he said.
‘‘I want to thank the many supporters who either phoned, called in, emailed or who signed the petition in support of a cremator here. It was indeed
pet heartening to know just how much support was out there and that support encouraged us to push on with our appeal.’’
Twentymans will now apply for a discharge consent from Waikato Regional Council for the cremator, and permission from the director general of health.
Not In the CBD spokeswoman Deb Brock said the community group was prepared to go to court to stop the crematorium going ahead and more protests were planned.
‘‘We haven’t given up. As a group we intend to have it stopped,’’ she said.
‘‘We intend to protest and we intend to make council aware of how the town feels.’’
Brock said the group was extremely disappointed with council and she felt there should be community consultation.
‘‘This was preventable and TCDC had to pass it to another commissioner because they were unable to make a decision,’’ she said.
‘‘I find it really bizarre that an independent commissioner can be employed and come up with a decision and yet that can be appealed and another independent commissioner comes up with the complete opposite decision.‘‘
However, the group agreed that a crematorium was needed in Thames, she said.
‘‘We know that the town does need one but we just think it’s inappropriate for it to be placed in amongst businesses and residences.’’
Catran wants to install an American cremator that he says emits no smoke or particulates into the atmosphere.
‘‘It eventually will make life a little easier for those families who wish to cremate their loved one locally.’’
A council spokesman said council had received a decision from an independent commissioner that a certificate can be issued for the proposed crematorium as a permitted activity and the applicant has been informed. More than half a million dollars will be invested from the Waipa Community Facilities Trust to make critical improvements to the Livingstone Aquatic Centre in Te Awamutu. On Tuesday Waipa District Council’s Service Delivery Committee approved up to $600,000 for the trust to replace the existing pool filters and install UV units. The work will mean cleaner water for the pools and improve air quality inside the complex. A mystery shop of all 78 councils in New Zealand has seen Waipa District Council come out on top. The council took home the 2017 ALGIM Best Customer Experience Award in Dunedin. The mystery shop is carried out by an independent assessor. Councils are then graded on five categories – responsiveness, welcome, conversation, information/ knowledge of the staff, how they finished the call, and how long the inquiry took.