Now that legislation has passed ensuring the future of Catholic Cemeteries as a charitable operator, CEO Lauren Hardgrove says they will focus on the new cemetery at Macarthur Memorial Park.
The memorial park located along St Andrews Road, Varroville, is the first Crown cemetery to be developed in Sydney for almost 80 years.
It will contain 136,00 burial spaces for all cultural groups and 35 hectares of public green space with peaceful walking tracks, lakes, a cafe and boardwalks.
It is set to open in April next year.
The legislation that ensures the future of Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria as a charitable cemetery operator was passed on June 21 by the NSW Parliament.
This means Catholic Cemeteries can continue to provide affordable, equitable and accessible burial and cremation services to Sydneysiders of all cultural and religious backgrounds.
Ms Hardgrove said the law marks the end of almost a decade of indecision and uncertainty for the organisation, which received more than 30 letters of support from major faith groups on the bill.
“We’ve been operating in this space for more than 100 years for the people of Sydney, and this legislation doesn’t change that,” she said.
“This ensures that our successor entity continues to operate as a charitable cemetery operator in this space, providing services not only for Catholics, but those of all faiths and those of none.
Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria operates not-for-profit cemeteries at Rookwood, North Rocks, Liverpool and Kemps Creek.
The Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria Trust Bill, introduced by minister for lands and property Steve Kamper was aimed at implementing the two-operator model for the Crown cemeteries sector, with the other operator the state-controlled Metropolitan Memorial Parks.
The legislation provides certainty and clarifies the purpose of Catholic Cemeteries as providing burials for all and addresses the growing burial space pressures being felt by many of Sydney’s faith groups.
“The two Crown cemetery operators will ensure continued quality burial and cremation services for our communities,” Mr Kamper said after the bill was passed.
“We are getting on with fixing the cemeteries sector, strengthening the industry regulator to be a solid cop on the beat and ensuring there are strong consumer protections for people at a very vulnerable time.”
