Cemetery extension brought forward
17 March 2015
THE rapid sale of burial plots in Kawerau has prompted the district council to prepare new plots at the town’s cemetery ahead of schedule.
Kawerau District Council has allocated $4000 to headstone footings to create 60 new plots in an area of the cemetery previously used as a car park.
During a council meeting on February 24, operations and services manager Tom McDowall said the current section of available plots was established behind the Walls of Remembrance in 2009.
It originally had space for 107 plots but 100 were sold, he said.
The other adult sections were completely filled, apart from the children, infant and ashes sections.
Previously, the council planned to develop the new section as part of the next long-term plan, which would come into effect at the start of the next financial year on July 1.
Mr McDowall said the recent rapid sale of plots meant it was imperative the new headstone footings were constructed before July to ensure burial sites were available to the community in an expedient manner.
The council declined to wait until the long-term plan was adopted, the second option under consideration.
Source: Whakatane Beacon