Families slam state of Wonthaggi Cemetery

LIFETIME Wonthaggi residents have slammed the "disgusting" condition of the local cemetery after finding it overgrown with grass and too dangerous to walk.

Gaile Fincher told the Sentinel-Times she visited the cemetery with her husband Mike over the holiday period to pay respects to her parents.

Ms Fincher said they usually visited at that time of year but when they arrived it was in a shocking state.

"It wasn't even mowed, it was disgusting," she said.

"I lost my parents 20-odd years ago and my husband lost his even longer ago and we always found the cemetery was beautiful.

"Whoever's doing it now, you don't treat our cemetery like that.

"You need to have respect and there is no respect there."

Ms Fincher's husband Mike said he was currently recovering from an injury and the long grass was a safety concern particularly for elderly visitors.

"The grass was probably six or seven inches long and you couldn't tell where the dips were," he said.

"I've had a back operation and my legs don't work properly currently so I just went and sat in the car because I was frightened of tumbling over.

"I didn't feel safe, a lot of older people go up there and I just didn't feel right walking around."

Mr Fincher said the whole cemetery needed top dressing because the soil had settled unevenly around graves making it treacherous to walk.

Former Wonthaggi resident Lesley Legg who now lives in Cairns visited the cemetery on Christmas Day and was equally disappointed.

Ms Legg said she grew up in Wonthaggi and spent 60 years there with her parents, grandparents and other relatives all buried at the cemetery.

"For Christmas Day it was a disgrace to look like that," she said.

"It hadn't been edged or whipper snipped to look nice, it was appalling.

"A lot of people were going to be visiting and it was just horrible.

"I think there's a lack of respect.

"There was more of a personal touch when council was doing it."

Their concerns echoed a post on Facebook which described the cemetery as "heartbreaking" with lawns "clearly" not mowed and the public toilet "in a disgusting state".

A visit by the Sentinel-Times found sections of the cemetery had long grass and weeds, while the toilet block door had been removed from its hinges with sharp nails exposed.

Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust took over management of Wonthaggi Cemetery from Bass Coast Shire Council on February 1 last year.

The Melbourne-based trust, which also operates Springvale Botanical Cemetery, received more than $4 million from council to go towards a maintenance fund as part of the handover.

At the time council said it was "not an expert in managing cemeteries" and could only provide a "minimum service offering".

The transfer sparked community opposition with local cemetery historian the late Noelene Lyons telling the Sentinel-Times in 2023: "All you need is a couple of local people with careful attention to detail, an interest in the preservation of history and respect for the community to oversee the work and a local committee.

"You don't need Melbourne management for a cemetery the size of Wonthaggi with fewer than 50 burials a year."

In April last year community members voiced concerns after SMCT installed signage prohibiting numerous items at gravesites including artificial flowers and solar stakes.

An SMCT spokesperson said recent weather had contributed to rapid grass growth across all its cemeteries and memorial parks.

"Our maintenance teams are diligently working across all sites to respond to this seasonal challenge," the spokesperson said.

"When maintenance challenges are brought to our attention, we act to address them quickly.

"Maintenance works including mowing and repairing the toilet facilities is underway with removing safety hazards being our highest priority."