A limited number of plots available in the Queenstown Cemetery, off Brecon St, means the cemetery may only have another 10 to 15 years left in its life, the Queenstown Lakes District Council community services committee heard this week.
Community Services general manager Paul Wilson told the councillors that plots needed to be installed in the ‘‘relatively near future'' to ensure residents retained the choice of burial in Queenstown.
Plans were drawn up in 2006 for the unused hill area of the cemetery, which would provide another 100 burial and 150 cremation plots and extend the cemetery's life for up to 15 years.
Two tenders were received for the preferred options, the lowest being $755,000.
At that stage, work included a new front fence and steps along Brecon St, an upgraded central roading network, ashes cairns in trees, schist retaining walls and garden plots.
Mr Wilson said the council could add burial plots in vacant land at the cemetery, or move out to the Lower Shotover Cemetery when the Queenstown Cemetery was full.
The council owns land on the corner of Lower Shotover and Spence Rds.
QLDC parks manager Gordon Bailey said in a report that there was an ‘‘immediate'' need for more burial plots in Queenstown.
‘‘I do not believe we can hold off any longer, as there are only a few plots, perhaps half a dozen, left, which would give a six month window to complete the work,'' he said.
‘‘This needs to be qualified by the fact that there are potentially 60-plus plots available in the middle of the cemetery . . . however, these are rather steep and may or may not have burials.''
The council had allocated $317,000 in the draft 2008-09 Annual Plan, which would not complete the work originally planned, but would provide enough plots for the next few years, allowing the council to explore moving to the Lower Shotover Cemetery.
Mr Bailey proposed plots to be developed on the lower side of the new centre road, providing 44 burial and cremation plots. That would be enough for three to five years.
Mr Bailey said adding more plots to Queenstown would allow time to plan and consult on the concept for layout of plots at the Lower Shotover site.
The committee supported $317,000 being used to create additional plots at the Queenstown Cemetery and recommended the council consult the public on the cemetery's future.
