Fake flowers, excessive floral arrangements and fragile or breakable objects will be banned in Shellharbour cemeteries under a new policy designed to bring consistency to the city’s final resting sites.
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And if decorations do not comply, the council will take action to “rectify” graves so they are in line with the new rules.
This week, councillors voted unanimously to put a brand new cemetery policy on public exhibition.
The council said it was aiming to introduce a “consistent approach” to the two cemeteries at Croome and Shellharbour.
Restrictions about wilted, excessive and artificial flower arrangements and ornaments are among 27 new rules for things that people “must not do” within the council burial grounds.
“A person must not do any of the following within council’s cemeteries,” the proposed rules say.
“Place fresh flowers unless in approved vases (unbreakable containers). A maximum of two vases per site. Excessive arrangements or wilted arrangements will be removed.”
“[A person must not] place artificial flowers.”
For sites that contravene these rules, the council says it may “rectify situations including removing items placed and considered not appropriate, hazardous or contrary to the regulations, after attempting to liaise with families, without notice.”
Explaining the artificial flower ban, a council spokeswoman said they can “deteriorate and can spread beyond the plot, diminishing the aesthetics of the cemetery.”
Artificial flowers deteriorate and can spread beyond the plot, diminishing the aesthetics of the cemetery.
- Council spokeswoman
“Due to the high number of artificial flowers, some of which are not in containers, mowing in the lawn cemetery and maintenance of the memorial garden has become very difficult,” she said.
Debating the policy on Tuesday night, councillors raised no problems with the suggested rules.
Deputy mayor Kellie Marsh supported the move to restrict what could be left at grave sites and believed the council would handle the issue “delicately”.
“If this policy is endorsed, we won’t be putting the hammer down straightaway, council officers will be dealing with this matter as delicately as possible and there will be quite a long transition period,” she said.
The spokeswoman said the removal of items would begin in January, after a “period of grace” given to families to remove their own items.
“This will improve safety, as ornaments can be a hazard for visitors and workers during maintenance,” she said. “Plots with unapproved additional memorials, particularly those that encroach on adjoining plots, can be upsetting to families who choose certain locations such as lawns, with an expectation of what the aesthetics will be.”
Also at the council meeting, Cr Marsh suggested a change to another part of the policy, which would have dictated that families must erect a suitable monument at their loved ones grave within 12 months of burial.
She asked that this be extended, with consent of the council, because some people experiencing social disadvantage may not be able to complete these monuments within a year.