Minutes Ordinary Meeting 20 February 2025

ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES                                                        20 FEBRUARY 2025




6.          PRESENTATIONS

            Nil.



7.          DEPUTATIONS

            Nil.




8.          PUBLIC QUESTION TIME


     8.1.          BRIAN O'CONNOR

                   QUESTION 1
                   We are told that Noosa Shire is experiencing a housing shortage, but I wonder
                   whether is extends beyond death? The Tewantin Cemetery is not accepting any
                   more prospective guests in repose and the council has given up land set aside for
                   expansion of the Cooroy Cemetery for use as affordable housing for the living
                   instead. At Pomona, the dead are buried beside the rubbish at the adjacent waste
                   disposal facility. Given Noosa Shire's growing and ageing population, what current
                   and future planning is the council undertaking to ensure sufficient land is reserved
                   for burials and for niches containing cremated ashes, or even so-called 'natural'
                   burial sites, now creeping into favour?


                   Answer provided by Kerri Contini Director Community Services
                   Thank-you for your question and interest in the cemetery services Council
                   provides. Council operates three cemeteries at Tewantin, Cooroy and Pomona. To
                   clarify, although I’m sure Mr O’Connor was being tongue-in-cheek, people are not
                   buried beside rubbish at Pomona Cemetery. Our Pomona Cemetery is a beautiful
                   garden sited cemetery surrounded by trees with a 200m vegetation buffer between
                   the cemetery and the waste transfer site. Council officers are currently undertaking
                   the research and analysis stage to develop a Cemeteries’ Plan to guide the future
                   internment needs for Noosa residents. This includes understanding the impacts of
                   changing trends which is broadly seeing a reduction in demand for traditional
                   burials and an increase in requests for ashes internment, memorial plaques and
                   contemporary offerings such as green burials. This Plan will guide requirements
                   for land requirements.



                   QUESTION 2
                   Noosa and Gympie councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that
                   aims to explore efficiencies in waste management and potential cost-sharing
                   arrangements across the two-council area. Would this be a model for cooperation
                   on possible development of a management model for establishing a regional
                   cemetery in the hinterland serving a wider catchment area?