Carrathool Shire Council has shed some light on the issue of the loss of Hillston’s cemetery records, with General Manager Joanne Treacy responding to criticisms on Monday.
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The issue came to light after Gold Coast Woman Vicki Morris discovered a number of Hillston’s cemetery records had been lost in her search for the final resting place of her estranged grandfather.
Ms Treacy said Ms Morris’ grandfather was buried as per the ‘pauper procedure’ by the contractor of the time, but the Shire had never received the records from that contractor as they were lost in a fire.
“Carrathool Shire therefore has no specific pauper records regarding this burial, and never did, to enable us to give them to Ms Morris,” she said.
Ms Treacy defended council’s request that Ms Morris fill out a form and pay a fee to access further records, saying it was information not publicly and legally available.
“Legislation requires that a GIPA application must be made,” she said. “Under the GIPA process release of the details then depends on permission from the families of the other deceased persons. This process is time consuming and Council would have to incur costs which is what the legislated GIPA fee only partially covers.”
