General News
23 January, 2026
Council responds to cemetery concerns
NORTHERN Grampians Shire Council is responding to community concerns about the state of Stawell’s Pleasant Creek Cemetery while seeking to clarify some misconceptions about activities within the organisation’s scope. In the past few days, council staff have received complaints about fallen tree limbs, debris, weeds and rubbish at the site, with several complaints also made on community social media pages. Mayor Karen Hyslop said council’s Parks and Gardens team was aware of fallen tree limbs and debris at the cemetery following recent high winds and rain.
“This is a common occurrence across the shire at the moment as conditions are very dry, with many
trees under significant stress,” she said.
“The cemetery was scheduled for clean-up on Wednesday, however, council’s priority following a
storm is ensuring people can access their homes and clearing major roads.”
Cr Hyslop encouraged residents to log any safety concerns or instances of fallen trees or limbs via
the Snap Send Solve smartphone application, so staff could take appropriate action.
“While council might be aware of some instances, we cannot possibly be across everything in the
shire. We encourage you to let us know,” she said.
Cr Hyslop said in relation to concerns about weeds in certain parts of the cemetery, council completed its
spraying program in October and November as per its usual schedule.
“While many of the weeds around the grounds have subsequently died, there is one particular weed
– stinkwort – which has become chemically resistant to council's herbicide and unfortunately thrives
under current weather conditions,” she said.
“We have purchased an alternative herbicide, which will arrive in the coming fortnight and be applied
as required.
“Our staff are not mowing or whipper-snipping these weeds because the herbicide needs to be
applied to the alive leaf.
“Once it is applied and the weed dies, council will then conduct appropriate brush cutting and
maintenance works to tidy these areas.”
Cr Hyslop said council engaged qualified arborists for high-traffic locations, including
cemeteries, every two years.
She said following the report received in September 2025, several high-risk trees were trimmed to
minimise potential safety concerns.
“I would like to remind people that council can only facilitate maintenance work based on the
resources available and in line with the allocation for cemeteries in our annual budget,” she said.
Cr Hyslop said council had allocated $400,000 across the 2024–25 and 2025–26 budgets to expand
the secondary lawn cemetery, providing long-term interment capacity for approximately the next 40
years.
“The assessment of the current lawn cemetery shows a lifespan of one to two years based on current
interment rates, so we have prioritised this expansion in the budget because council is committed to
ensuring the cemetery’s longevity,” she said.
“Stage one of this project is already underway.”
Cr Hyslop said she had also noted concerns about conditions of some gravesites, headstones and
monuments, which were outside of council’s scope.
Council operates the cemetery within the powers available under the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act
2003 and its Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2025.
“This mandates what council can and cannot do, and when certain activities can be completed,” Cr
Hyslop said.
“The Right of Interment permit, which is one of the first steps a family must take to secure a plot, is a
State Government process that provides rights and obligations to the right holder – which is usually
an immediate family member.
“Descendants of the original right holders have the responsibility to maintain historic monuments and
right holder consent is required for any works being undertaken for repair.
“Council encourages families to maintain their sites, which will collectively aid in maintaining the
cemetery grounds as well,” she said.
Cr Hyslop said council would like to encourage residents to see the cemetery as an important
community asset.
“We encourage people to respect the grounds upon entry and be mindful of where they park, as
some of the large, grassed areas are unmarked gravesites that are currently being investigated and
mapped by council,” she said.
“If you see rubbish on the ground, we encourage you to pick it up and place it into the new bins we
have placed around the grounds.
“We appreciate that the cemetery is an emotional and sensitive topic for many people, but council
remains committed to providing a valuable service to the community during difficult times in their
lives.”
Read More: Stawell