The Council of the City of Gold Coast (The City) manages 8
cemeteries.
The City has a Local Law & Subordinate Local law for Cemeteries
which sets out conditions and rules that affect the cemeteries and
those who enter them. If you’d like a copy of this, please contact
The City.
The Applicant and Burial Right Holder must comply with all rules
or regulations which may apply to the operation of the cemetery.
The City may vary its rules and regulations at any time and in any
manner it deems appropriate.
1. The City is responsible for the administration, maintenance and
appearance of The City’s cemeteries.
2. The City may grant a request to pre-purchase burial rights for a
plot if satisfied that there is sufficient land available in The City’s
cemeteries.
3. If a request to pre-purchase burial rights for a plot is granted by
The City, the person may, at any time during their lifetime,
provide a written notice to The City nominating the persons
whose bodies or ashes may be buried in the plot.
4. If no human remains (including cremated remains) are buried
or interred in the plot within 25 years after the day the burial right
is given, The City may revoke the burial right.
5. The person may relinquish the burial rights for the plot back to
The City for a price determined by The City.
6. After the death of the person, The City may permit a
descendant or relative of the person or the ashes of a
descendant or relative, to be buried in the plot, if there is
sufficient room for more than 1 person to be buried in the plot.
7. Under no circumstances is a person permitted to enter into a
gravesite to carry out works without written approval from The
City to ensure compliance with the code of practice for entering a
confined space.
8. The scattering of ashes (cremated remains) is NOT permitted
in any of The City’s Cemeteries without prior approval.
LAWN & LAWN BEAM SECTIONS:
9. Lawn sections cater for burials where a monument or a grave
surround is not permitted. A memorial tablet or plaque is placed
on a gravesite or on a concrete beam in accordance with The
City’s Local Law and the remaining gravesite surrounds are
turfed.
10. The City is responsible for the care and maintenance of
graves in lawn sections. Trinkets, wooden crosses and other
monuments are not permitted in this section.
11. All plaques and bases for lawn cemeteries must be installed
by The City. Granite/marble bases for lawn graves may be
supplied by monumental masons (provided bases are to The
City’s specifications). “Form 7” should be completed and
forwarded to The City outlining required details of the plaque and
base together with payment of the scheduled permit fee.
12. Memorial plaques can be purchased through The City. The
City supplies bronze memorial plaques due to its long-lasting
qualities. However, these plaques will exhibit signs of natural
ageing or may be affected by the elements and environment. The resultant changes should not be confused with faulty
workmanship.
13. Plaques can be restored to their original condition at the
expense of burial right holder, family or descendants.
14. Breakable vases, glass jars, statues, ceramic and metal
containers are not permitted to be left in lawn sections. For
occupational health and public safety reasons such items will be
removed without notice. Families may supply their own vases
provided they are made of non-breakable material such as plastic
or copper and have a spike on the base to stop them tipping over.
15. The City supplied plastic vases are available at distribution
points in cemetery lawn sections.
16. Decaying flowers will be removed without notice.
MONUMENTAL SECTIONS:
17. The construction of a monument or headstone in a
monumental section requires The City approval. An application
form (Form 6) should be completed and forwarded to The City
outlining proposed details together with payment of the scheduled
permit fee.
18. The City accepts no responsibility for the maintenance of any
monument that may be constructed on the grave. The monument
will always remain the responsibility of the Burial Right Holder or
his or her family and descendants. The City reserves the right to
remove any monument (after due notice to family or
descendants) if and when the condition of which renders it
dangerous to cemetery staff or visitors.
ASHES SITES: Columbarium Niche Wall / Memorial Gardens
19. The City may grant a request to pre-purchase ashes sites if
satisfied that a niche or memorial garden is available.
20. A pre-purchased site may be relinquished to The City at a
price determined by The City.
21. The City shall maintain a niche or memorial garden for a
period of seventy (70) years from the time it is first used for the
disposal of ashes. After the expiration of seventy (70) years The
City may remove a niche and demolish a columbarium niche wall
or memorial garden. Unless claimed by a descendant of the
deceased person, The City shall bury free of charge, the contents
of niches and inscription plates in a general Garden of
Remembrance. The niche will then revert to The City.
22. If the ashes of a person are at any time removed from a niche
by a representative of the deceased person, the niche reverts to
The City.
23. Fresh flowers only to be placed in memorial gardens.
24. The City supplied plastic vases are available at distribution
points in lawn sections of a cemetery.
25. Decaying flowers will be removed without notice.