By Jessica Micallef
Operational management of the Sunbury Cemetery Trust will be transferred to Remembrance Parks Central Victoria (RPCV).
From October 1, RPCV will be responsible for the cemetery’s day-to-day operations and maintenance of the site after Hume council decided to stop providing administrative, operational and secretarial services because the trust was not a “core service” of council.
Trust member Richard Vandeloo said the council’s decision to stop supporting the trust was the catalyst in the management change.
“There will still be a continuity of the level of maintenance of the cemetery that is very important to the people who have loved ones buried here,” he said.
“Sunbury Cemetery Trust has entered into a shared service agreement with RPCV … and the Sunbury Cemetery Trust will be more active than in the past.
“We will be responsible for our governance functions and monitoring the provisions as well as any development of the areas of the cemetery.”
Mr Vandeloo said Remembrance Parks Central Victoria was the best suited organisation to maintain the cemetery’s “historical” setting.
“Our cemetery dates back to 1862,” he said.
“We have an avenue of English oak trees that were planted in 1930 and there is a heritage overlay.
“I want to project to Sunbury and the community that it’s [the cemetery] not going to deteriorate and in fact, it is going to have improvements.”
Once the transition is complete, residents will have access to educational opportunities to maximise their understanding and planning for afterlife care and remembrance.
Remembrance Parks Central Victoria chief executive Dean McElroy said: “There has been a considerable and detailed level of thought and planning undertaken that is going to ensure the transfer of the cemetery operations is completed in a timely and appropriate manner.
“Remembrance Parks Central Victoria will maintain the current standards of maintenance delivered by Sunbury Cemetery Trust.”
