Underwater graveyard plan for Gold Coast

The Gold Coast City Council is investigating plans to build an underwater graveyard as the city battles a shortage of burial plots.

Graveyard sunrise

Graveyard at sunrise Source: AAP

Sleeping with the fishes may not be as sinister as it sounds if a Gold Coast plan for an underwater graveyard gets the green light.

The city council will consider the proposal as a way to address a shortage of burial plots in Australia's sixth largest city.

It could allow for cremated remains to be interred inside structures under the waves or mixed in concrete to create new sections.

In 2007, a site off the coast of Miami in the United States called Neptune Memorial Reef was created and has a capacity to hold 125,000 remains.

It's expected the idea will be put to the Gold Coast City Council's lifestyle and community committee later this year.

Long-serving councillor Dawn Crichlow is backing the plan and wants to see an underwater graveyard constructed at the Broadwater off the Southport coast.

Earlier this month Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate announced plans to create a dive site by sinking a multi-million dollar pyramid off the Spit.

Cr Tate said while the graveyard plan had merit he felt the Spit would be a better location than the Broadwater.

"It's the ultimate 'green burial' in my view," he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

By Dong Xing
Source: AAP

Share this with family and friends


News

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Mandarin-speaking Australians.
Understand the quirky parts of Aussie life.
Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
Simplified Chinese Collection

Simplified Chinese Collection

Watch onDemand