Not worth it

By Kath Gannaway
Ms Riley was responding to concerns voiced by Healesville resident Tom Kennedy, 82, as reported in the Mail last week.
The Lilydale Cemetery Trust was amalgamated with the GMCT in March this year.
Mr Kennedy, who is visually impaired, queried a fee of $801 for erecting a headstone on his wife’s grave at Healesville. He said the cemetery was rundown, inaccessible and presented risks to many people with a disability.
In response to his concerns about accessibility and maintenance Ms Riley stated the GMCT did not receive any government funding and noted that the cost of being buried at Healesville was significantly less than at Lilydale, but that Lilydale generates more revenue.
She said only 39 burials were conducted at Healesville last year.
“In order to raise funds to redevelop the Healesville site the GMCT would need to consider raising the price of burial plots purchased in the future and/or seeking further funds from the owners of existing plots.
“The community purchasing plots for Lilydale Memorial Park would expect their funds to be used for the upkeep and maintenance of the Lilydale site,” she said.
Mr Kennedy said it had cost him close to $20,000 for the plot and internment fees and rejected what he said was a rationale that because Healesville was a smaller cemetery it was less worthy of proper maintenance.
“It is a risk-management issue in terms of the cracked pathways, seats that you have to step up to, and a number of other problems, and they should be addressed,” he said.
Mr Kennedy said he met with Seymour MP Ben Hardman two weeks ago and was advised there were grants available for cemeteries.
In response to the $801 fee (now $815) Ms Riley said the fee was gazetted by the Victorian Government and was the cost of co-ordinating the mason’s work at each stage of erecting the monument.
The Mail has established that the same fee at Wesburn Cemetery is $120 and includes on-site inspections of the site with the monumental mason.
“It’s not good enough for them (GMCT) to just say it is for co-ordinating,” Mr Kennedy said.
“My understanding is that they did nothing but stamp the permit.
“If they want to make this legitimate, to justify what is a huge fee, then give me a break-down of what they did for the money.
“That’s what I have asked for, and I can’t get that information,” he said.
A spokesperson for Mr Hardman said he had given Mr Kennedy an undertaking to talk to the Health Minister, Daniel Andrews, on his behalf.
A spokesman for the Department of Health told the Mail cemetery trusts were responsible for the maintenance of cemeteries and had the power to set fees.
He said the fees should meet the day-to-day operations, and future maintenance needs.
“The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust can apply for a maintenance grant for the Healesville cemetery,” he said.