GRIEVING families have been left devastated following keepsakes from gravesides were removed without any warning or consultation.
Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has called on the Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to dismiss directors of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria following the decision to remove cherished mementos from graves at cemeteries controlled by the Trust.
Remembrance Parks Central Victoria is a Class A Cemetery Trust controlling 11 separate regional cemeteries including Bendigo, Pine Lodge and Kialla West.
Ms Lovell described the removal of items from headstones without prior consultation with families as a heartless decision that has caused unimaginable grief and said the entire board of directors should be immediately sacked and replaced with an administrator until a more compassionate board can be appointed.
“The honouring of departed loved ones by grieving families is a very emotional issue and a compassionate cemetery trust would fully engage with families before taking any action,” said Ms Lovell.
Following negative media regarding the removal of keepsakes, Remembrance Parks Central Victoria has now given families of remaining gravesites until February 6 to remove items. Ms Lovell said this came as no consolation to the families whose mementos have already been removed, and the cemetery trust needed to consult fully before taking any further action.
This comes in the wake of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria’s controversial proposal in 2022 to introduce exorbitant price rises for internment and cremation services. This move was overturned following pressure in parliament from the Coalition and significant negative media regarding the issue.
Remembrance Parks Central Victoria’s mission statement and values require the trust to deliver a caring service and act with compassion and integrity. Ms Lovell said that clearly the trust only complies with these requirements when a spotlight is shone on their decisions that are not compassionate or in the best interests of the public.
