Cemetery trust to consult community about grave adornments

The consultation process invites stakeholders and community members across central Victoria to share insights on what should and should not be in the revised policy and how it should be applied.

The consultation process follows uproar from the Shepparton and Bendigo communities in January after photos, ornaments and toys were removed from graves at cemeteries, including Pine Lodge.

Grieving families discovered the items were taken on the weekend of January 21 and 22.

RPCV, the Trust which manages Pine Lodge cemetery and 10 others across northern and central Victoria, initially defended its actions as being in line with its “long-standing adornment policy” but a week later said it would consult more closely with families before making changes to grave sites.

RPCV chief executive has since lost her job.

The consultation will be overseen by new RPCV chief executive Lauretta Stace, who has designed the process.

Ms Stace said when she was appointed in August, she was told one of her most important short-term priorities “was to ensure that the recommendations of the Robertson report were comprehensively planned and implemented”.

This report was written from an independent investigation into the removal of the items and made 12 recommendations including a review of the adornment policy, and ongoing consultation with the community about the adornment policy.

“One of the highest priority recommendations related to a review of the adornment policy including conducting broad-based community consultation,” Ms Stace said.

“Accepting this recommendation was a given, as the acting CEO Maureen O’Keefe and the chair of the Trust Marg Lewis had already committed to a review of the policy earlier this year, when the issue of irreplaceable adornments were removed by RPCV from loved ones’ graves.”

The consultation process will involve a series of interviews with right of internment holders at each cemetery, RPCV staff, community groups across central Victoria and industry partners.

RPCV said a survey tool would be developed to facilitate feedback from the broader community.

Following initial input, a draft policy will be published for comment before the adornment policy is finalised.

“I will be posting regular updates on social media on how the community can have a say and we will be reaching out to right of internment holders directly,” Ms Stace said.

“I will also be hosting meetings with industry and community groups.”