{"id":36281,"date":"2025-11-30T15:12:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T04:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=36281"},"modified":"2025-11-30T15:12:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T04:12:49","slug":"shaping-the-future-of-nsw-cemetries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2025\/11\/30\/shaping-the-future-of-nsw-cemetries\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping the future of NSW Cemetries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Minns Labor Government is calling on&nbsp;cemetery operators and&nbsp;communities&nbsp;to help shape&nbsp;the future of cemeteries&nbsp;and&nbsp;memorial&nbsp;parks&nbsp;across the state, with the release of the&nbsp;draft Perpetual Care<em>&nbsp;<\/em>Framework&nbsp;for public consultation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cemeteries and memorial parks are more than resting places,&nbsp;they are spaces for remembrance, reflection, and community connection. The draft Perpetual Care Framework sets out a plan to ensure these special places are cared for, respected, and accessible for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The proposed framework will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide a clear definition of what is meant by perpetual care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide opportunities to keep cemeteries as vibrant and valuable spaces into the future, even when they have reached full capacity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hold cemetery operators accountable for perpetual care and ensure ongoing safe access for families and communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give\u00a0families certainty that cemeteries will be\u00a0maintained\u00a0with dignity and respect, even after they are no longer active<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage maintenance costs most effectively through long term planning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Respect the diverse religious and cultural needs of NSW communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow for innovative and respectful uses for cemeteries, such as new green spaces, so these valued places can continue to\u00a0benefit\u00a0the community in new ways.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The draft Perpetual Care Framework shares real-world examples of what a well-planned approach to perpetual care can look like in practice, citing the Melbourne General Cemetery in central Melbourne, and Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Sydney as alternative approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Project Cultivate \u2013 Melbourne General Cemetery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative has transformed traditional cemetery landscapes into thriving native grasslands, reducing water use and chemical inputs while enhancing biodiversity. It&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;how cemeteries can honour memory and contribute to environmental resilience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Camperdown Memorial Rest Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a cemetery, this site is now a vibrant public park, showing how inactive cemeteries can be repurposed to serve communities while preserving heritage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Have Your Say<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cemetery operators and communities are invited to provide their feedback to ensure the final framework meets the needs of all and supports a strong, sustainable future for NSW cemeteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Feedback can be provided by completing a survey or by emailing&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:ccnsw.regulatoryreform@cemeteries.nsw.gov.au\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ccnsw.regulatoryreform@cemeteries.nsw.gov.au<\/a>. Responses must be received by 27 March 2026. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au\/industry-regulation\/perpetual-care-framework\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cemeteries.nsw.gov.au\/industry-regulation\/perpetual-care-framework<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Minister for Lands and Property, Steve Kamper&nbsp;said:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe framework is a major step forward in ensuring cemeteries&nbsp;remain&nbsp;respectful, sustainable, and well-maintained for generations to come.&nbsp;It gives&nbsp;families certainty that cemeteries will be&nbsp;maintained&nbsp;with dignity and respect, even after they are no longer active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPerpetual care is about dignity, respect, and sustainability. This framework sets out how operators can plan for the long-term maintenance of cemeteries while embracing innovation and community expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>David Raper, Acting CEO of Cemeteries &amp; Crematoria NSW said:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want to hear from everyone&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;operators, families, and communities&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;about what perpetual care should look like. Together, we can respect the past and&nbsp;ensure cemeteries benefit families and communities well into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minns Labor Government is calling on&nbsp;cemetery operators and&nbsp;communities&nbsp;to help shape&nbsp;the future of cemeteries&nbsp;and&nbsp;memorial&nbsp;parks&nbsp;across the state, with the release of the&nbsp;draft Perpetual Care&nbsp;Framework&nbsp;for public consultation.&nbsp; Cemeteries and memorial parks are more than resting places,&nbsp;they are spaces for remembrance, reflection, and community connection. The draft Perpetual Care Framework sets out a plan to ensure these special &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2025\/11\/30\/shaping-the-future-of-nsw-cemetries\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Shaping the future of NSW Cemetries&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36281"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36282,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36281\/revisions\/36282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}