“Council made a Submission on the proposed Southside Cemetery in March. In essence Council said that:
Council is strongly of the view that there needs to be a Cemetery in Southern Canberra and that the proposed cemetery should offer all services including a crematorium. This range of services should include:
- Conventional headstone burials,;
- Lawn burials;
- Garden burials;
- Memorials for cremated remains; and
- Natural burials
The Council agrees with the proposed location on Long Gully Road.
Submission on the Southern Cemetery Discussion Paper
The Weston Creek Community Council would like to make the following comments in relation to the discussion paper on a proposed Cemetery for Southern Canberra.
Council is strongly of the view that there needs to be a Cemetery in Southern Canberra. A cemetery offering all services is long overdue to the people of southern Canberra. Woden Cemetery has only ever offered only some services to residents of southern Canberra.
Council considers that the proposed cemetery should offer all services including a crematorium. This range of services should include:
- Conventional headstone burials,
- Lawn burials
- Garden burials
- Memorials for cremated remains, and
- Natural burials
The proposed location on Long Gully Road is one that Council agrees with. The only comment is that this road would need to be widened to two lanes in either direction to accommodate funeral processions and reduce the risk of accident with the normal traffic flow of trucks and cars with trailers to and from the Mugga Lane Tip, the Hume Industrial Estate and the Monaro Highway.
Public Transport would need to be adjusted to provide a good service from both Woden and Tuggeranong to those wishing to visit the Cemetery.
It is pleasing to note that there has already been an air quality impact assessment of the proposed site with model predictions indicating that all modeled pollutant concentrations will meet current air quality criteria.
Council believes that the cemetery proposal should proceed as early as possible to provide the facility to the people of southern Canberra, one that is missing at the present time.
If there are any questions in relation to this, please do not hesitate to contact Council or the writer.