Expressions of Interest closed on June 7, at 2pm exactly. Council now has the task ahead to go through the expressions and select a partner to operate and build the long-awaited crematorium.

The crematorium has been one of the key tasks for the council, with the community lobbying hard for it - especially some of Griffith's multicultural groups.

With 90 per cent of the Indian community electing for cremations rather than burials, they are traveling to Wagga for the process - adding additional stress in an already difficult time.

The first of Council's Community Opinion Groups saw a return of the issue - with a letter from longterm advocate Bill Lancaster urging prioritisation.

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Mayor Doug Curran at the time noted that council had not left the crematorium project behind and was working on finding a suitable location for development.

A feasibility study was recently held into the crematorium, revealing it's findings in February.

Councillor Manjit Lally said the next steps were to closely examine the study and decide on development opportunities - but that everyone was united in support of it.

"We'll see the report in front of council, and see Everyone wants the crematorium.The community wants it and have been pushing hard for the last ten or fifteen years, the council wants it. "

"We need it, we'll facilitate it somewhere in Griffith."

He added that there had been a significant amount of interest from potential facilitators.

The crematorium is estimated to be an investment of up to or even above a million dollars, but it is assumed that that money will be returned through cremation revenue. Each cremation, if charged at $900 as laid out in the masterplan, would net approximately $485 back for the costs.

"Council's decisions making processes might also factor in its community service obligations. It is that obligation to the local community which may set it apart from a funeral director, whose volume of cremations may not generate a commercial return on the necessary capital costs," reads the feasibility study.

Three options were pitched as potential locations for the crematorium - Griffith cemetery, Rifle Range Road and Yenda Cemetery. All had pros and cons, noting staff availability, space and the longterm strategic plan.

The full study is available here.

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