The Cressy cemetery is set to benefit from a $3,985 Brumby Government funding boost Gayle Tierney, member for Western Victoria announced today.
The Brumby Government has provided the money for maintenance grants to small and medium-sized Victorian cemetery trusts, Ms Tierney said.
Ms Tierney said ten cemetery trusts State-wide will share $73,004 in grants, including Cressy cemetery trust which received funding for a concrete beam for the lawn section of the cemetery which is used to attached plaques.
“These grants are for small rural cemeteries with little maintenance money and will be used for essential items such as equipment, general upkeep, facility renovations, fencing and tree and weed control,” Ms Tierney said.
Ms Tierney said other grants made to small rural cemeteries range from $770 for the Strathbogie Cemetery for pruning works, $5,830 for the installation of tap, upgrade disabled car park and internal roadway at Mornington cemetery, and $18,330 for the construction of a fence at the Timor cemetery.
“The Brumby Government also provided a grant of $10,000 to the Marysville cemetery to buy a new tool shed to store its equipment, and buy equipment and tools to replace those which were lost in the February bush fires.”
Ms Tierney said these grants also recognise the voluntary contribution of cemetery trust members.
“The Government was able to meet the majority of requests for maintenance through these grants,” she said.
Applications were assessed on the nature of works, the size and viability of the cemetery trust, whether it had received a grant in recent years and on other financial considerations.
Ms Tierney said the grants would be particularly helpful to small historical cemeteries in areas where populations had declined and there were few new burials.
“These grants will help maintain the integrity and structure of cemeteries which are often used for genealogical and historical research.
“Currently there are 522 cemetery trusts throughout Victoria managing 564 public cemeteries,” Ms Tierney said.
“The Brumby Government values the contribution of the thousands of volunteer members of small rural cemeteries across Victoria.”
In 2008 the Government took action to support and maintain small volunteer cemetery trusts and ensure that these organisations could continue their valuable work.
