Forget housing grave space is the new headache

As if being priced out of the housing market was bad enough, millennials could be locked out of cemeteries with nowhere to bury themselves or their parents…

Muslim section of Rookwood Cemetery. Source: SBS Bangla

It’s estimated that if no new land is acquired, major Sydney cemeteries will be full by 2035.

Even factoring in newly proposed burial spots won’t do enough - with our growing population, cemeteries will reach capacity (again) by 2057.

So how did we let it get so dire?

1800-RENT-A-GRAVE

One thing you might not know is that your cosy hole in the ground is technically not yours for all eternity.

Since federation, cemeteries around Australia have combated space issues by only offering grave spaces for a set period of time. Adelaide and Perth deal with exhausted grave sites by having ‘renewed tenure’.

You’re basically renting your spot in the ground for 25, 55 or 99 years. After that time, if you don’t renew it, your loved ones are either replaced or built on top of.

I don’t know about you, but there’s no way my family would keen on that.

 

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