A Dunedin City Council review of cemetery space has caused ‘‘warning bells’’ to sound, Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairwoman Sarah Davie-Nitis says.
At a board meeting in Outram last month, council parks and recreation assistant planner Stephen Hogg spoke to board members about his department reviewing the remaining capacity of cemeteries in Dunedin.
The review would include determining the available burial plots in Dunedin cemeteries and space for future plot development.
The investigation would establish how the $2.8 million the council had allocated for cemetery expansion in Mosgiel-Taieri area in the 2022-23 year would be spent.
He expected the review to be complete by early next year.
At the meeting, Mrs Davie-Nitis said the city-wide scope of the review caused ‘‘warning bells’’ to sound.
She feared the review could result in someone living on the Taieri being buried on the other side of the city because a cemetery there had capacity for burials.
Mrs Davie-Nitis, of Mosgiel, speaking to The Star last week, said there was a perception that the East Taieri Cemetery was getting full and Mosgiel residents wanted to know how much burial capacity remained on the Taieri.
The review was a good thing but she feared it could result in the $2.8 million being spent outside the Taieri area.
Council parks and recreation group manager Robert West, in an email, said council staff would talk to the media about the review after they had reported the results to the council and the board.
