Pine Lodge cemetery: Families forced to travel to Bendigo to access counselling, give feedback

By Max Stainkamph

Mar 2, 2023

Travel needed: People with loved ones buried at Pine Lodge cemetery have had to go to Bendigo to access counselling sessions or to give feedback about a policy which saw items taken from grave sites. Photo by Holly Curtis

Residents in Shepparton must travel 90 minutes to Bendigo if they want to access services like counselling or to give feedback about Remembrance Parks Central Victoria’s policies.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

RPCV came under fire earlier this year after trinkets and mementos were taken from grave sites without families being told in advance.

RPCV had offered counselling services and group therapy to families of people buried at its cemeteries, as well as group sessions with acting chief executive Maureen O’Keeffe “to hear from families who had memorials removed from loved ones’ graves”.

The event invitation, linked on the RPCV website, said the focus of the session was “so everyone can be heard”.

“These sessions are open only to families with their loved ones interred at the cemeteries where items were removed,” it read.

“The community meetings have been scheduled at various times on different days of the week in the hope that they will suit everyone.”

However, all of the sessions are in Bendigo.

RPCV said nothing except alcohol and unsafe items would be removed from graves, while free vases were being offered from the administrative office — which is in Bendigo — for people who have lost items.

A spokesperson from the RPCV board did not return calls from the News to answer questions about why the services haven’t been provided in Shepparton.

“Remembrance Parks is aware that the application of its adornment policy has caused uncertainty and concern to many families and friends with loved ones interred at our cemeteries,” the event description read.

“We know that we should have done better by the families and friends of those interred.

“We are thoroughly examining what happened and how we can work more closely with you.”

Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell, who is from Shepparton but her electorate includes Bendigo, said people she’d spoken to who had been impacted by items being removed from graves had not been directly contacted about the feedback or counselling sessions.

Ms Lovell has previously called for the board to be sacked.

“People shouldn’t have to go to Bendigo for these sessions,” Ms Lovell said.

“If they want to continue to manage cemeteries in this community they should provide those services in this community.”