Pine Lodge cemetery changes

In May, the headstones on the newest row of graves at the cemetery changed from an angled raised headstone that is uniform with all the other graves in the row, to a flat footpath-like surface.

People then had to stick their plaque to the flat concrete base or pay to have it on a piece of granite that sits flat on the concrete.

Families of those buried in the row were angered the change had been made without consultation with them and wanted the headstones changed back to be uniform with all the other graves in that part of the cemetery.

New Remembrance Parks Central Victoria chief executive officer Lauretta Stace met with 11 family members at the cemetery on September 12 to hear their concerns and discuss the changes.

On September 21, the decision was officially overturned.

Work has now been completed, with all the graves in the row now having angled headstones.

New lawn has also been seeded over those graves.

On Friday, Ms Stace met the families of those buried at the cemetery.

“I really appreciate you inviting me up to acknowledge and recognise the work that’s been done all in the cemetery,” Ms Stace said.

“It was a community-based approach to getting something changed to suit what you wanted and it was important for me to make sure that that happened, so thank you for letting me know and thank you for inviting me here today.”

A tree was planted on Friday to remember the effort the community, families and trust put in to find an outcome that suited everyone.

Each person who attended had a turn on the shovel, adding their piece to the soil as a symbol of the effort put in by the trust and families.

“I thought as a gesture of goodwill to all of you because I know how upsetting this issue has been and so I wanted to plant a tree just in acknowledgement of what we’ve done together as a community,” Ms Stace said.

Ray Cox, one of the family members who spearheaded the changes, having had a connection to the cemetery through family, thanked Ms Stace for the work she had put in.

“I’d just like to thank you (Ms Stace) for listening to not just my family, but everyone that’s here today; we very, very much appreciate it,” he said.

“I think, on behalf of everyone, the cemetery looks how we all thought it was going to look, so thank you very much.”

The headstone changes come as part of a tumultuous year at the cemetery.

In January, grieving families discovered that photos, ornaments and toys had been removed from graves at cemeteries across Greater Shepparton and Bendigo, including Pine Lodge.

When confronted, Remembrance Parks Central Victoria initially defended its actions as being in line with its “long-standing adornment policy”.

One week later, the organisation said it would consult more closely with families before making changes to grave sites.

A community consultation survey about a new adornment policy was launched in early November, with a draft policy expected in December.

People will also have the chance to comment on that draft policy before a final policy is made.