Junee cemetary site plan.
At Junee Council’s November meeting, Councillors received and endorsed the 10year capital improvement plan and masterplan for the Junee Lawn Cemetery. The Junee Lawn Cemetery has become the most widely used cemetery in Junee, as monumental burials have decreased over time and lawn burials and ash interments have increased. This report details the planned capital works at the cemetery over the next 10years.
This is proposed to align aesthetic improvements, operational efficiencies and practical services for the community. The Junee Lawn Cemetery has developed in an ad-hoc manner over the last five years, with designs being changed for road locations, toilet locations etc. for various reasons, with conflicting views. Due to the low budget and the need to largely focus on operational efficiency, many of the aesthetic improvements that larger cemeteries have undergone, have been missed along with functional practical services such as parking and toilets.
A new 10-year capital program is proposed to align aesthetic improvements, operational efficiencies and practical services for the community. The limited budget means the development will occur over a period of time.
The current cemeteries environment has resulted in a number of factors contributing to the need for this program:
• Increased regulation by NSW Cemeteries and Crematoria.
• Increasing of the level of service provided by property Managers (Including other Councils) throughout the state, resulting in higher community expectations.
Consistent increases in burial numbers each year, due to an ageing population.
• A shift away from monumental burials and towards lawn burials and in turn a shift towards ash interments rather than lawn burials. The primary considerations of the 10-year program are summarised below, in the order of priority.
• Provision of toilet facilities for all users.
• Provision of irrigation forcurrent beams and mains for future beams.
• Provision of central shaded areas for all users.
• Improving parking areas within proximity of the site for all users.
• Provision of beams for up-coming growth in burials.
• Provision of alternative memorial areas to meet the growing demand.
• Provision of alternative ash interment areas to meet the growing demand.
• Improving access quality for all users.
A snapshot of some of the improvements over the years looks like: Year 1- New disabled toilet, new male/female Toilets, removal of existing storage facility for Operational Staff, irrigation.
Year 2 – Storage Facilities for workers, establishing new road layout, preparation of gravel and/or bitumen roads and carparks, footpaths to new toilet facilities.
Year 3 – Construction of rotunda, construction of foot-paths, construction of memorial locations, construction of Ash Interment Edging.
Year 4 – Construction of new cemetery beams.
Year 5 – Rendering and cornicing the existing columbarium wall, establishment of a tree memorial near the columbarium wall.
Year 6 – Asphalting and kerb and gutter.
Year 7 – Construction of New Cemetery Beams in Irrigation and any outstanding irrigation.
Year 8, 9, 10 – Asphalting and kerb and gutter. During the meeting, Councillor Andrew Clinton inquired about parking, being told there would be a capacity of eighty parking spots. Councillor Pam Halliburton praised the plan, saying it was good to see Council moving forward with the times.
-Jack Murray
