Griffith Cemetery holds a special place in the hearts of many families, but after many decades the site is getting overcrowded.
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Plans for a new cemetery will be put up for public scrutiny, kicking off with an information session at 7.30pm on Tuesday in the Burley Griffin Room at Griffith Regional Theatre.
The masterplan is for a cemetery on Rifle Range Road near Lake Wyangan and includes tentative proposals for a crematorium on site - either a commercial crematorium or a council-owned one.
Currently, those wanting their loved ones cremated have to travel all the way to Wagga.
It's been a nuisance for the Sikh community, which traditionally cremates their dead before funerals.
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Griffith Genealogical Society and Historical Society's Margaret Tucker said a crematorium is "a must", saying that the cemetery was dangerously close to reaching full capacity.
"Lawn four is where they're burying most people at the moment, but when it gets to the end of the road that'll be the end of that," she said.
Mrs Tucker visits the cemetery on a regular basis, and she's not the only one by a long shot.
She sees a lot of familiar faces at the cemetery - many Italians and others who visit their loved ones on a weekly basis to pay their respects.
Griffith residents have had a notoriously keen interest in their family history and ancestry, as evidenced by the fact that the genealogical society has recently hit 100 members.
The cemetery has played an important role in tracking down family history - which is why many of them will be hoping the new cemetery gets it right.
The cemetery plan is still very much in-the-works, and Griffith City Council's infrastructure director Phil King is urging people to come along to the information session and give feedback.
"This is a good process to get involved and have a say on what the cemetery should look like," Mr King said.
"Griffith's a growing city and that means we need all of our infrastructure to be pre-planned and ready to take on all the things that are happening."
People who are interested in attending the information session on Tuesday can RSVP by calling 6962 8135.
The cemetery master plans are also up for public exhibition at the council chambers and on their website until October 25.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
