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Cemetery and Crematorium Regulations - Section D: Memorials
Cemetery and Crematorium Regulations - Section D: Memorials
1. Masons
The Council operates and maintains an Approved Mason Register. Masons wishing to undertake memorial works within the Councils’ cemeteries must meet the approved mason criteria. The Council reserves the right to suspend/remove a mason from approved status should it be proven that a mason is in breach of any council regulation &/or a substantiated complaint is received by a third party with regard to conduct/standards of workmanship.
2. Exclusive Rights of Burial and the Erection of Memorials
Memorials can only be erected over graves in which the exclusive rights of burial have been purchased.
3. Stability Test
No sooner than 28 days following installation all memorials of 61cm (2’) & above including base shall be subjected to a calibrated stability test by a suitably qualified Council employee, the fee for which as posted in the current table of fees must accompany the Memorial Application.
4. Erection of Memorials
No memorial, tablet, stone or vase shall be erected on any grave without the prior approval of the Council. To reduce environmental impact, the use of foreign stone and rainforest timber is not permitted.
5. Application for Approval of Memorials and Inscriptions
Application for approval of memorials and inscriptions must be made on the Council’s application form, which is available from the cemeteries and crematorium office. The form must be signed by the registered owner of the burial rights and must show the name and address of the memorial mason who is to carry out the work.
6. Memorial Masons
Memorial masons are advised to seek approval for and permission to erect a memorial before commencing its manufacture as any losses incurred by way of the Council’s disapproval of any memorial will be the responsibility of the memorial mason and registered grave owner.
7. Individual Designs
The Council encourages memorials of an individual design. To ensure inscriptions are meaningful to the bereaved wording may include colloquial words, nicknames or other acceptable and approved familiar terms. Approval of inscriptions will not be unreasonably with held and will be refused only where in the opinion of the Council they will give offence or cause distress to any person or particular group of persons. Ceramic plaques may be used.
8. Applications for Approval of Inscriptions
Completed applications for approval of inscriptions must be signed by the registered owner of burial rights and submitted to the cemeteries and crematorium office together with the appropriate fee payable.
9. Ownership of Rights of Burial
Should the registered owner of rights of burial be deceased a transfer of ownership & registration of a new owner of the right of burial & right to erect a memorial must be arranged before any approval of memorial work will be given.
10. Removal of Unauthorised Memorials
The Council reserves the right to remove any unauthorised memorials from the cemeteries and recover any costs incurred by so doing from the person by whom the order for the memorial was placed.
(Article 14(a) Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977)
11. Maintenance of Memorials
All memorials erected in the cemeteries shall be safely maintained at the expense of the owner of rights of burial in the particular grave.
12. Council's Memorial Safety Policy
In accordance with the Councils’ Memorial Safety Policy the Council reserves the right without notice to:
- Remove or make safe any memorial, which in the opinion of the Registrar is a danger or could become a danger to any person in the cemeteries.
- Remove temporarily any memorial or part of any memorial if such course of action appears to the Council to be desirable.
- Recover from the owner of the rights of burial all reasonable costs incurred in making the memorial safe.
13. Supply, Fixation and Inscription of Memorials
All memorials shall be supplied, fixed and inscribed in accordance with the current Code of Practice as issued by The National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) or proof shall be provided that all materials will last for at least 30 years in typical soil conditions. Any metal parts must be stainless steel. Every memorial erected shall have a proof strength to withstand a push/pull force of at least 35kg applied at the top or, in the case of a tall memorial, at a height of 1500 mm [5 feet]. The NAMM may be requested to act as an independent arbiter in case of dispute between the owner of rights of burial or a memorial mason and the Council. All memorials shall be legibly inscribed and shall identify the burial section and grave number.
14. Fixation of Headstones, Kerbs, Corner Posts etc
Headstones, kerbs, corner posts and the like must be securely fixed using galvanised dowels.
15. Kerbs, Ledger and Similar Type Memorials
Kerbs, ledger or similar type memorials are permitted within the traditional sections of the cemeteries only and shall be made only from natural stone.
16. Memorials in the Lawn Sections of Cemeteries
On lawn sections of the cemeteries memorials may take the form of a wooden memorial, headstone, open book, tablet, vase or the like made from natural materials. The use of kerbs, chippings, paving, timber, stone or plastic fencing or edges is prohibited. The Council reserves the right to remove anything placed on or around a grave without authority.
17. Permitted Times for Memorial Work
Memorial Masons will be permitted entry to the cemeteries between the hours of 9.00 am to 3.00 pm from Monday to Friday. No memorial work will be allowed to take place on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays without prior authorisation as stated on the memorial permit. Without exception all masons must sign in/out at the cemetery office & have available for inspection the permit for works. Works shall only be undertaken as identified on the permit.
18. Tools and Equipment
Memorial Masons must provide all tools and equipment required for their purpose and executes their work in one continuous operation leaving the area in a clean and tidy condition. If a mason has for whatever reason to remove a memorial from a grave than said memorial including base, landings, chippings must be removed from the cemetery until such time as re-installation is approved.
19. Burial Services near Memorial Work
Memorial Masons must cease work and leave the area should a burial service take place in their vicinity. Work will only be allowed to continue after all mourners have left the cemetery.
Revised August 2007