Cade Lucas
This story was one of the top stories from 2024 and was originally published in February.
While thousands of new residents continue to move to Wyndham, many who die in the municipality are currently having to leave.
Werribee Cemetery, the only burial space in Australia’s fastest growing council area, is full.
A lack of space has meant that only those with existing plot reservations can be buried there, with above ground burials and cremations also still available.
Wyndham residents seeking a burial plot are being forced to use Altona, Melton or Keilor cemeteries, meaning many cannot be buried alongside family members in the place where they live.
Among them is Mambourin man, David Hanley, who has generations of family members buried at Werribee Cemetery.
“Oh a bloody few,” was his best guess when asked how many.
“The last ones we buried there were mum and dad a couple of years ago. There was wind then that the cemetery was becoming quite full.”
Those rumours were confirmed for Mr Hanley last year when he applied to the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT) that manages Werribee Cemetery to try to secure his own burial plot there.
“I made contact with them (GMCT) mid last year but they never replied to me,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to chase it up and I’ve made contact with the cemetery trust, and they’ve confirmed that there’s definitely no plots available. The nearest place you can get buried through them is Altona or Keilor.”
Mr Hanley said other family members have had a similar response, while Werribee resident Tammy Lovell Taylor said she was informed of the situation while planning her father’s funeral last year.
“We had my dad’s funeral in December through Le Pine in Werribee. We were told Werribee is full and the only option is Altona. Any local funeral home will tell you Werribee is full unless you have a reserved plot,” said Ms Lovell Taylor, whose father was cremated.
Le Pine and other funeral operators in Wyndham didn’t respond to Star Weekly’s enquiries.
Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust took over responsibility of Werribee Cemetery in 2010.
GMCT’s chief operations & people officer Dimi Patitsas wouldn’t confirm that Werribee Cemetery is full, but said it was experiencing capacity constraints like many other cemeteries across Melbourne and that the issue was being addressed.
“We are planning new lawn areas and an extension to the mausoleum at Werribee Cemetery,” said Ms Patitsas, adding that plenty of burial space was available in neighbouring council areas.
“We will continue serving the growing communities in Melbourne’s west with care and compassion at Altona Memorial Park and at the state’s largest new cemetery in 100 years at Harkness in the City of Melton.”
