Public Consultation on the draft Burial and Cremation Amendment Bill 2018 will commence today and communities are encouraged to have their say on an important issue for people across Tasmania.
While the sale of local churches is ultimately a matter for the Anglican Church, the Hodgman Liberal Government understands community concerns and has responded through a comprehensive review of the Act.
The draft legislation reflects our commitment to preserving, protecting and where appropriate, strengthening both the rights of community members and the obligations on cemetery managers.
The proposed amendments provide for several new measures, including a five yearly compliance audit, increasing maximum penalties and empowering the regulator to issue infringement notices.
It is proposed that the law around closing cemeteries will also change, increasing the length of time from the last burial, from 30 to 100 years.
Importantly, the Burial and Cremation Act 2002 already requires cemetery managers to maintain the cemetery, allow public access and honour exclusive rights of burial. However, moving forward, cemetery managers will only be body corporates, removing the risk associated with cemeteries being managed by private individuals who may not be able to continue managing the cemetary due to illness or death
I encourage all community members to engage in the consultation process, and have their say. Information will be available on the DPAC website later today.
The deadline for feedback is 14 October 2018 following which the Government will introduce a final Bill to the Parliament before the end of the year to ensure we meet the timeframes set by the Anglican Church for their asset sales.
