Funerals in the Orange Botanic Gardens get green light after 700 public responses

Orange Botanic Gardens. Copyright: Orange News Examiner.

By David Fitzsimons

Funerals are set to be held at the Orange Botanic Gardens after overwhelming support from the people of Orange.

The funerals, including coffins on display, would be held in the lawn area of the Native Garden Display or in the Clover Hill Function Centre, with notification signs in place.

Orange City Council put the idea on public exhibition for a month and the results are now in, showing 75 percent of more than 700 responses back the plan for funerals to be held in the gardens.

Council staff have recommended the funeral plan to next Tuesday’s council meeting.

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Funerals would only occur on weekdays and would each have a fee of $300.

Only one funeral a day would be allowed under the proposal.

While many people supported the proposal, concerns were raised about the prospect of garden visitors, particularly children, walking into a funeral environment.

One respondent said: “I think there are many many sites already for this kind of service. I think a coffin could be a distressing sight for small children utilising the park.”

Another said: “I also take my kids walking through there and could think of nothing worse than having to explain to young children what is going on.”

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