THE NSW Government has been accused of slapping a “cash grab” on local councils and grieving families, with an expanded tax on every burial and cremation.
LGNSW claimed the cost would have to be passed on to families of deceased loved ones, increasing the costs of burials and cremations at “what is an already very challenging time and for no discernible benefit”.
The state’s cemeteries watchdog – Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW – has begun rolling out a statewide licensing scheme to set performance standards and consumer protections.
The new powers will be funded by an expanding a burial tax to some 300 operators across the state.
The Interment Industry Levy, about $156 per burial, currently only applies to Crown cemeteries. It will be expanded to all operators from July 1.
LGNSW president Darriea Turley called the new tax another example of cost shifting and has written to Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper calling for the decision to be reversed.
“LGNSW understands the need for NSW Government to undertake budget repair, but a cash grab from families of the deceased in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is not the right way to go about this,” Cr Turley said.
“This new tax will particularly hit rural and regional families.
“Across NSW, council cemeteries undertake more than 40 per cent of all burials but this rises to more than 80 per cent of all burials in rural and regional NSW.”
Cr Turley said council-operated cemeteries should not be required to pay the tax to fund the operations of the bureaucracy which regulates cemeteries.
“The regulators are public servants who should be paid from state coffers, not by picking the pockets of councils and families who have lost a loved one,” she said.
“In contrast to other cemetery operators, councils are already heavily regulated under the Local Government Act 1993. This regulation pertains to financial sustainability, oversight, reporting and transparency.
“This is nothing more than a NSW Government cash grab.”
However, Mr Kamper said “we need a strong cop on the beat”.
“For too long, cemeteries were neglected by previous governments leading to a critical lack of supply for burial space … with bad operators left unregulated and customers left vulnerable.
“We want all people in NSW to have access to sustainable and affordable burial and cremation services that are respectful of culture and faith, and which are provided in a compassionate, consistent, transparent and accountable way.
“Losing a loved one can be the most difficult time in a person’s life. We need to lift the bar with stronger regulation and better planning to ensure cemetery and crematoria operators and the public have transparency around pricing, service quality and future certainty.”
It’s unclear the impact this will have on Balranald Council’s cemeteries in Balranald and Euston.
The council was contacted for comment.
