" Renewable " gravesites !

Release of the " Cemeteries and Crematoria " bill will certainly upset a lot of people, but we are fast running out of space to bury the dead and the passage of time sees many old burial grounds become derelict eyesores.

At present, about sixty-five percent of deceased Australians opt for burial and each year this decreases as cremation finds favour.   It is a far cheaper option and scattering the ashes in a rose garden with posterity served by a small brass plaque bestows the necessary dignity to a funeral and it's mourners.

There will be no change to existing cemeteries, but the proposal will introduce " renewable internment " to new burial grounds.   It will offer the option of buying a " leased gravesite " with twenty-five years of residence.  These can be renewed indefinitely - if that is the wish of the relatives of the dead.

In the event that this tenure is not renewed, the remains may be removed and placed in a communal ossuary, or the cemetery may use the " lift and deeper " option.    Dig the grave deeper and relocate the original remains, and bury another person on top.

This plan will cater for those who wish a permanent gravesite and which option is chosen will be a matter of cost.     Obviously the leased gravesite will be far cheaper, but it also seems certain that the rising cost of land in Australia will see permanent gravesites rise to extraordinary levels.

Burying the dead is becoming a victim of our urban environment.   As villages became towns - and towns became cities - the practice of burying the dead in the grounds of the local church became impractical.   The funeral industry is now big business and it needs to adapt it's practices to what people can afford.

No doubt this proposal will draw fire from some religious beliefs and upset families who must make practical decisions on funeral arrangements at a time when their loss is raw, but the present situation is simply untenable - and needs an urgent review.

What is not needed is hysteria and unreasonable rejection.  This is a practical suggestion to solve a problem which every family must face at some time in their lives.