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An illustration of Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s proposed 144-hectare memorial park at Pillars Road, Bangholme. (SCMT)
Grave Wedge pitch Critics are taking aim at plans for a second, giant cemetery in Bangholme’s Green Wedge. Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust is seeking public feedback on a 144-hectare memorial park on two flood-prone pastures at 226-256 and 306-356 Pillars Road. The now-defunct South East Sports Hub (SESH) and a nearby golf course had previously been planned for the sites, still owned by developer Intrapac. SCMT, which has not made a “final decision” on the plan, states available burial space in the South East is “reaching capacity”. Springvale Botanical Cemetery is expected to fill within five years, and the nearby Bunurong Memorial Park is also filling faster than anticipated, with about 15 years remaining. The memorial park would include 12 kilome-
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One of the proposed sites at 226-256 Pillars Road. (Stewart Chambers: 570401) tres of community walking trails, “careful management of water flow”, more than 5000 native and indigenous trees and 17.5 hectares of tree canopy.
“We are at the beginning of a careful and deliberate process,” SCMT chief executive Ingrid Harvey says. “Without planning now, families in this region will face fewer options at the most difficult times in their lives.” Critics however are concerned about the loss of Green Wedge and agricultural land as well as flood risks in the Dandenong Creek-Eumemmerring Creek-Patterson River catchment. Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad said that combined with Bunurong Memorial Park, the plan would “permanently remove almost 264 hectares from Greater Dandenong’s Green Wedge”. “We’re at grave risk of turning our Green Wedge into a Grave Wedge.” Bangholme resident and flood researcher Al-
lan Hood said development heightened the risk of flooding “thousands” of homes between the cemetery and Port Phillip. “I’m very nervous that their lot is upstream from mine. They can dam the water up and drown my place. “I don’t see how it’s going to happen.” In 2022, SMCT abandoned a controversial plan to build a cemetery on Dandenong Creek floodplains at 1564 Heatherton Road, Dandenong. This came after opposition from Greater Dandenong Council and Melbourne Water as well as public outrage. For the latest venture, SCMT is starting a fourweek public engagement campaign, including a website, community drop-in sessions and letterbox drops. For more on the story, turn to page 2