With Shellharbour cemetery full and residents forced to go elsewhere to have loved ones cremated, the council this week approved a crematorium for the city.
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At Tuesday night’s meeting, Shellharbour councillors backed a staff recommendation to approve a development application to construct a crematorium, chapel and memorial home at Tongarra Road, Croom.
The site is located on the south-western corner of the intersection of Tongarra and Croome roads, Albion Park.
The site has frontage to Tongarra Road of approximately 550 metres, a frontage to Croome Road of approximately 200 metres, and an area of 26.88 hectares
The application was lodged on behalf of the Parsons Group.
In 2002, Parsons Group made an application to council to rezone the land to enable a crematorium, chapel and memorial home.
The DA has been with council since 2015, due to various modifications required.
Mayor Marianne Saliba said this land has been set aside for many years for a crematorium, and was zoned specifically for that purpose.
“In the past, people have had to be taken out of our city to be cremated,” Cr Saliba said.
“Quite often their ashes are then placed somewhere else outside of our city, which is a shame.
“While I understand the concerns of residents… I think by putting the times as reviewable in 12 months’ time will allow us to consider the implications on our community.
“Shellharbour cemetery is now full, there’s no more lots to sell. Albion Park is our last remaining cemetery at this stage for our residents.
“I think having the opportunity to be cremated and have their ashes placed in our city is a great way to be able to look after our community.”
The development includes a chapel/administration building.
The building would host about five services per week, with services generally scheduled for 10am, 12pm or 2pm, and prayer services within the chapel provided until 7.30pm.
The second building would be the crematorium, and the third would be the memorial home.
“The building will contain no more than 100 of ashes in receptacles,” council’s report said.
“The building will be open to the public between the hours of 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.”
The development will also require works to be undertaken along Tongarra Road and Croome Road, including a round-about at the intersection of Croome Road and Maple Street.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority raised the possibility of its impact on airport services, while other public submissions covered areas such as air pollution and traffic impacts.
Councillors’ amendments to the staff recommendation included that the hours of operation be able to be reviewed in 12 months’ time, as well as additional kerb and guttering.
Cr Kellie Marsh raised concerns about the increased traffic on Tongarra Road.
Cr Marsh said she would “begrudgingly” support the proposal, although she noted that most nearby residents she had spoken to were against the proposal.
“I personally wouldn’t like to live across from it,” she said.