Petition with more than 15,000 names presented to parliament over cemetery row

Shepparton families discovered back in January that plants, photos and ornaments were removed from grave sites as part of a clean-up of the site.

Ms Lovell said that if the RPCV board would not resign, Ms Thomas should sack the board members.

“In January this year the board of management of RPCV caused unimaginable pain to members of both the Bendigo and Shepparton communities when they desecrated graves where families had created small memorials or placed cherished personal items and, on some graves, modest floral tributes,” she said.

“I hope the minister will take on board the level of concern in the community about the competence of this board, as evidenced by the more than 15,000 signatories to the petition.”