Southern Sydney Cemeteries Trust

Southern Sydney Cemeteries

The trusts established to manage the Crown cemeteries in southern metropolitan Sydney have been dissolved and amalgamated to form the Southern Metropolitan
Cemeteries Trust (SMCT). The Botany Cemetery and Crematorium, known as the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, and the Woronora Cemetery are now managed by the SMCT.

The Trust board to manage the SMCT was gazetted on 18 January 2013.

The Board Chair is Anthony Simpson

and the Board members are:
Anthony Lee  
Paul Rappoport  
Ivona Kadlec  

Michael McMahon  
Les Bursill  
Elizabeth Fitzsimmons: is the only member from the former Trust.

Sustainable Food Book Launch

Michael Mobbs’ Sustainable Food Book Launch with Bob Carr

 

Grow your own food to protect city from disaster, Sydneysiders urged

Grow your own food to protect city from disaster, Sydneysiders urged, Sydney Morning Herald, James Robertson, 17 November 2012

Turning back the clock … Sally Hill wants urban dwellers to to think carefully about how food is produced and where it comes from. Photo: Tamara Dean

SYDNEY’S fresh food would only last two or three days if a cataclysmic disaster struck, experts say.

Burying the truth of death under the bland and the ugly – Elizabeth Farrelly

Burying the truth of death under the bland and the ugly – Elizabeth Farrelly,        SMH 25 October 2012

Illustration: Edd Aragon

And they’re greedy. In death as in life, they sprawl. Sydney ”will run out of burial space by 2035,” Alan Jones insisted as he lobbied the airwaves for Botany Cemetery’s right to grab a further 60 per cent of the adjoining market garden where brothers Gordon and Terry Ha grow their coriander and bok choy. But why prioritise the dead over the living? Bad enough for housing to sprawl over food security, but graves? Hello? Jones berates the gardeners for taking water from the aquifer, but seems fine with bodies leaching into it. What’s wrong with doubling up? Stacking? Churning? Densification? What about recycling? Crop rotation? If graves must have food-land, why shouldn’t food have old grave land? Natural burial, where people are buried coffinless to encourage bio-degradation, sometimes with a seedling in their mouth, is impossible in most Australian cemeteries.

I’m coming round to Halloween.

Reply from Renata Brooks Deputy Director General, Lands

Letter from Renata Brooks

Key points:

1. Botany and Woronora Cemetery Trusts have been dissolved and their cemeteries are now managed by the new Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.  This Trust, in consultation with Government and the proposed NSW Cemeteries and Crematoria Board, will need to consider its options and if it wishes to continue to pursue the proposal.

This is a reminder of the support that Lands has previously given the Trust:

2.   To deal with the looming shortage of burial space, the Minister has approved a schedule of land in the greater Sydney region that should be examined for future cemeteries.  The market gardens site is part of this schedule.  This work will continue under the auspices of the NSW Cemetery and Crematoria Board and in consultation with the relevant government authorities.  In relation to the market gardens site, the Minister has also asked the NSW Farmers’ Association to provide input for consideration by Government.

 

3.  A CMP, if required, would be entirely funded by the responsible Trust and assessed by the NSW Heritage Council.  However, it should be noted that Randwick Council was funded to prepare a CMP when the market gardens were first listed and failed to do so.

 

4.  Regrettably, the information you requested in relation to comparisons of rental rates is not readily to hand.  However, licensees are required to manage the land consistent with the provisions of the Heritage listing, in compliance with the Work Health and Safety legislation, and with appropriate environmental management safeguards.  All these factors contribute to the rental charged.

 

5.  In the Sydney basin, the Crown lands database indicates that there are only five sites for agriculture purposes leased or licensed, covering about 20ha (excluding the market gardens) and numerous grazing occupancies.  Clearly the role of Crown land in food production within Sydney is not significant.  

 

MAYBE IT SHOULD BECOME SIGNIFICANT.  JUST AS CROWN LAND USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES HAS BEEN ASSESSED FOR CEMETERY USE, PERHAPS THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ASSESSMENT FOR FOOD PRODUCTION PURPOSES (AS SUGGESTED IN EMAIL BELOW)

 

Finally, the Minister has asked me to thank you on her behalf for your invitation to visit the Market Gardens site.  The Minister appreciates your offer, but has advised that in late 2011 her senior advisers visited the site and provided her with a comprehensive briefing to inform her understanding of the issues and challenges at hand.

 

Again the contact for further information is John Filocamo

 

THIS WAS THE CORRESPONDENCE SENT:

From: Laperouse

Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 3:20 PM

To: office@hodgkinson.minister.nsw.gov.au

Cc: Charles Abela ; Scott Nash ; Carlos(Ma) ; SOUTH WARD EMAIL ; Tony.Bowen@randwick.nsw.gov.au ; matson@ihug.com.au ; Robert Belleli ; Ted Seng ; Margaret Woodsmith ; Bradley Hughes ; Paul Tracey ; Alan.White@randwick.nsw.gov.au

Subject: Chinese market gardens and Botany Cemetery

Dear Minister Hodgkinson,

 

copied Chairs of Matraville and La Perouse Precincts, Mayor of Randwick, South Ward Email list, Councillors Bowen, Belleli, Tracey, White, Woodsmith, Matson, Hughes, Seng,

 

I have contacted your office on many occasions about the La Perouse Market Gardens. When I have received replies the contact quoted on most occasions has been Mr John Filocamo, Metropolitan Stakeholder Relations Specialist –South Region – Crown Lands Catchments and Lands. In conversations with Mr Filocamo I have formed the impression that he supports the takeover of the Gardens by the Botany Cemetery Trust. 

Supporters win in Randwick Council Elections

Over the past 4 years Labour and Liberal Councillors in South Ward have supported the Market Gardens and the Independent, Charles Matthews, has supported the Cemetery Trust.  At yesterday’s Randwick Council elections Liberal Councillor Robert Belleli was returned with an increased vote. The retiring Labour Councillor, Alan White, was replaced by Labour’s Noel D’Souza and Labour’s Pat Garcia, claimed the position held by Charles Matthews.

Robert Belleli:  Liberal

Telephone: 02 9314 3961, Mobile: 0407 466 174, Email:robert.belleli@randwick.nsw.gov.au

Statement on Market Gardens:  11/7/12 in Southern Courier

I don’t support any expansion of the cemetery. I think we need to protect the Chinese Market Gardens. I supported the rural zoning of the market gardens and will always do so. I understand we’re running out of cemetery space but the heritage of the market gardens is important. The need for sustainable food sources in the Sydney basin is critical. My view about the proposed cemetery expansion is different to some of my other Liberal colleagues. The great thing about the Liberal Party is we’re allowed to disagree with each other. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. But my opinion is clear – the market gardens are too important and should be protected.

Noel D’Souza:  Labour

 Feel free to contact me at noel@randwicklabor.org if you have any questions regarding South Ward.

Statement on Market Gardens:  11/7/12 in Southern Courier

 This is little more then a cheap land grab by the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park at the expense of the locals. What about the local ratepayers, do our opinions not matter? To the best of my knowledge the O’Farrell Government is poised later in the year to reverse the council’s decision. My view on this important issue is the same as expressed by my Labor colleagues in council that the land that has been zoned rural, must stay zoned rural. The Chinese Gardens at La Perouse must be saved. We need the Mayor Scott Nash to reassure the residents of the South Ward that Randwick Council’s decision on this matter is final and that the O’Farrell Government will respect people’s wishes and not cave in and reverse council’s decision.

Pat Garcia: Labour

 

COUNCIL VOTES IN SUPPORT OF MARKET GARDENS

At Tuesday night’s Randwick Council meeting (24th July) Councillors were asked to support the following recommendation (as contained in this report on the Botany Cemetery Trust proposal to takeover 60%+ of the Market Gardens):

a) Council resolve that the proposal proceed to Gateway for determination under section 56 of the EP & A Act, subject to the Applicant preparing an amended planning proposal which addresses outstanding heritage and other issues identified in this report, and resubmit those documents to Council and the Department for consideration prior to exhibition of the revised planning proposal.
b) Council’s correspondence to the Gateway should clearly articulate the matters to be addressed through further investigations as identified in this report.
c) Council acknowledge the advice of the NSW Heritage Council and seek to work collaboratively with the Heritage Council and the Applicant in the development of the Conservation Management Plan.

There were 14 Councillors present:

Councillors Belleli, Seng, White, Bowen, Tracey, Matson, Hughes and Woodsmith voted for Option 4 which rejected the Cemetery proposal outright and supported the RU4 re-zoning determined at Council meeting of 22/5/2012.

Councillors Nash, Smith, Procopiadis, Matthews, Andrews and Stevenson voted against Option 4 indicating they would vote for the recommended option (as above) – Option 2 – if it were put.   This was the option that Cemetery supporters were urging Councillors to accept and it would have given a clear message that Council accepted in principle the proposal and that there was ‘just a bit of work’ needed to finalise it.  The local community are experienced with developments presented like this, eg Prince Henry,Little Bay Cove,Orica Southlands.  They have already had 4 years of consultation on the Market Gardens starting with the Lands Assessment of 2008 which recommended against cemetery uses.  This report was ‘revised in 2010.  Read a comparison of the two reports and wonder at the motivation behind the ‘change of heart’ in Crown Lands.  Note that the Minister at the time (for both Lands and Planning) was Tony Kelly who has since appeared before ICAC and subsequently been expelled from the Labour Party.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

REMINDER

Independent Planning Consultant (for Randwick Council’s LEP)

Ms Tina Spiegel was appointed by Council to run the public hearing, given her combined expertise as a lawyer, town planner and mediator specialising in development, town planning and environmental law. Ms Spiegel confirmed that she had no conflict of interest in matters concerning Council in general and in particular matters relevant to the draft LEP.  This is what she recommended on the Market Gardens: “ Although there was a convincing and valuable representation by some speakers that the land should be used as a cemetery, the valuable contribution of urban agricultural lands should not be underestimated.  The use of part of the land for cemetery purposes may only be a very short term solution for the problem of where to bury the dead.Under these circumstances it is considered that the proposed rezoning of the land to RU4 may be supported because it is a long term sustainable solution.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

In the Randwick City Council eNews released on 25 July the report on the vote read:

“Council last night voted to reject a planning proposal to expand the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park into the neighbouring Chinese Market Gardens site on Bunnerong Road, Phillip Bay. The proposal sought to rezone 60 per cent of the Chinese Market Gardens site for cemetery use.The land has a long history of use as a market garden, and is listed as a state significant heritage item, as well as a local heritage item in Council’s planning controls. It was also listed by the National Trust on their national heritage register this year.”

The Mayor’s (Scott Nash) Media Release also of 25 July includes the statement:

Randwick Mayor said: “I’m disappointed with the decision, because I think there’s merit in an expansion of the cemetery. People of the Islamic, Jewish and Orthodox Christian faiths do not allow cremation. We have to respect that. Sydney’s running out of burial space and so a proposed expansion of the cemetery needs to be considered.”

The media release also included:

“The ESMP planning proposal, lodged with Council and assessed by an independent expert planner, proposed co-existing with the market gardens as well as providing publicly accessible pathways near Yarra Creek and creating stormwater basins and ecological habitats within the market gardens land.”

Extensive modifications are required to accommodate graves on this floodplain site.  The assessor noted that possibly 70% of the current gardens would be alienated making it impossible for both farming families to continue.  Given the work involved -and local community do have experience of major works along Bunnerong over the past 3 years – it is unlikely that either farming family could continue. Perhaps the The Trust’s idea of co-existence is to reduce the Market Gardens to a series of interpretative panels and claim this as ‘heritage’.

In the Southern Courier report written after the Council meeting, journalist Leesa Smith wrote that ”Residents will not get the chance to have their say on the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park’s expansion after Randwick Council rejected the proposal at tonight’s council meeting.”

As comment writers noted (below the article), the local community has been ‘consulted to death’ on this subject.  The Botany Cemetery Trust and their masters in Crown Lands have a problem accepting NO – a sentiment expressed many time by community and their representatives over the past 4 years.

The Cemetery Trust does not need to go to the State Government.  It could be a good neighbour and look elsewhere for suitable sites as well as lobby, with Council and community support, for legislation that realistically addresses the future need for burial space.

Randwick Council handballs Botany cemetery expansion proposal to the state government, 25 July, Leesa Smith, Southern Courier

Eight out of 14 councillors decided not to put a recommendation forward to the state government, with some councillors convinced the government, as the landlord of the Crown land, had already made up its mind that the proposal would go ahead. Residents will not get the chance to have their say on the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park’s expansion after Randwick Council rejected the proposal at tonight’s council meeting.

The Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park Trust submitted a planning proposal to Randwick Council seeking to rezone approximately 60 per cent of the adjoining Chinese Market Garden site at Bunnerong Rd, Matraville to facilitate the expansion of the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park (ESMP) cemetery.

Misleading information

In the letters to the Southern Courier this week Mr Paul Parris casts doubt on the quality of food produced by the farmers.  Mr Parris has done this before in his submission on the LEP rezoning to RU4(small lot rural).  On that occasion the Mayor provided him with answers reassuring him that the relevant authorities are satisfied with food and water quality.   See correspondence between Mr Parris and Mayor Scott Nash contained in Submissions Report on LEP - Link to submissions document

Sustainable Jewish Cemetery with 12 layers of graves

NOTE THIS ARTICLE IN JERUSALEM POST 3 March 2012:  Nat’l-religious group, rabbis promote layered burial
 

(Photos: Prague Cemetery;  Brady Street Cemetery, London)

The Cemetery is in the Jewish Quarter of Prague is an example of sustainable burial.  According to halakah, Jews must not destroy Jewish graves and in particular are not allowed to remove the tombstone. This meant that when the cemetery ran out of space and purchasing extra land was impossible, more layers of soil were placed on the existing graves, the old tombstones taken out and placed upon the new layer of soil. This explains why the tombstones in the cemetery are placed so closely to each other. This resulted in the cemetery having 12 layers of graves.

It was in use from the early 15th century. The numbers of grave stones and numbers of people buried there are uncertain.  However, it has been estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all. It is not clear when exactly the cemetery was founded. This has been the subject of discussion of many scholars. Some claim that the cemetery is over 1000 years older than the accepted date, which is the first half of the 15th century.More details this link.

Council Report for Meeting 24 July 2012 on Cemetery Proposal

NOTE:  THAT THIS REPORT WAS NOT PREPARED BY COUNCIL OFFICERS.  THE AUTHOR IS CLARE BROWN PRINCIPAL PLANNER AT APP CORPORATION - Note this photograph on front page of the APP Website with disgraced former Planning and Crown Lands Minister, Tony Kelly, who was responsible for approving a Part 3A process for the Cemetery Trust takeover of the Market Gardens.   (Phone Numbers and Emails of Councillors)

Randwick City Council has just released it’s report on the Cemetery Proposal to takeover the Market Gardens.  This is the full report - COUNCIL REPORT FOR 24 July 2012 - and these are the recommendations that Councillors will consider next Tuesday, 24 July:

Recommendation

That:
a) Council resolve that the proposal proceed to Gateway for determination under section 56 of the EP & A Act, subject to the Applicant preparing an amended planning proposal which addresses outstanding heritage and other issues identified in this report, and resubmit those documents to Council and the Department for consideration prior to exhibition of the revised planning proposal.

b) Council’s correspondence to the Gateway should clearly articulate the matters to be addressed through further investigations as identified in this report.

c) Council acknowledge the advice of the NSW Heritage Council and seek to work collaboratively with the Heritage Council and the Applicant in the development of the Conservation Management Plan.
The Conservation Management Plan will be required to be submitted to NSW Heritage Council for approval as part of the redefinition of the planning proposal.