Future runs of brochure printing for cemeteries might soon need to include a proviso stating that a guest's stay may not be permanent.
This possibility has arisen with the news that Victorian cemeteries may adopt the practice of leasing their grave sites.
A recent report has stated that grave plots are running out in the metropolitan area. This situation has triggered a review of cemeteries by the Victorian government.
A Health Department investigation of the enduring capacity of the state's cemeteries found this year that some local government areas have no capacity left, and some will have run out of room by 2035. Some cemeteries are expected to be full within the coming two years.
In cemeteries located in some Australian states, graves cannot be leased for more than 50 years. Some cemeteries have even placed a limit of 25 years on tenure. According to Russ Allison who supervised the operation of Springvale Botanical Cemetery for over a decade, graves are purchased for perpetuity in Victoria.
Mr Allison admitted that the government will probably be under pressure to initiate the leasing of grave sites. This step will not be an easy move for the government.
Mr Allison said that some of Melbourne's cemeteries contained the best gardens in the district, and in Europe, some cemeteries are also local parks. Florence Jaquet, a landscape architect, said that some cemeteries in other countries had eliminated gravestones, and relatives used GPS trackers to locate grave sites.
