Launceston ratepayers need to consider what the Carr Villa Memorial Park means to them, says a funeral director as the council increases burial fees for the sixth year in a row.
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At their last meeting, City of Launceston councillors voted to increase the burial fees by 15 per cent above the consumer price index.
The increases mean a single depth grave will cost $3770 and a double depth would cost $4125. Mayor Albert van Zetten said the increases were made to cover the cost of maintaining the cemetery.
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He said the facility is operated on a break-even basis and despite changes, the fees are still lower than comparable facilities.
"A fair pricing model for the costs associated with running a facility like Carr Villa Memorial Park allows us to undertake other works to care for and improve it into the future," Cr van Zetten said.
"For example, this year the City of Launceston has budgeted $205,000 for capital works at Carr Villa Memorial Park, following $345,000 worth of upgrades last year."
Finney Funeral Services owner Mark Graham said it was time the people of Launceston decided what they wanted out of the Memorial Park. "I have been concerned for some time that the 15 per cent price increase is something that has been sustained over a period of five years," he said.
"It has been a difficult decision for the council I am sure, but what they are actually doing is passing the cost of running that asset onto the user themselves.
"As a community, we need to consider what Carr Villa Memorial Park means to us and whether the asset itself is more of a user pays scenario or as ratepayers ... [are] we prepared to put money into Carr Villa to maintain that asset."
He said the council had done a terrific job with the cemetery but a 15 per cent increase was excessive particularly in the current economic climate.
Fellow Launceston-based funeral director Nicholas Lee said the price increases were obscene. The TM Foley Funerals owner wrote a letter to the council protesting the latest increase.
"These prices are totally unfair, totally obscene in regards to how it will impact the people of Northern Tasmania," Mr Lee said.
He said the increase will leave his company thousands of dollars out of pocket on pre-paid funerals.
Mr Lee said a double depth grave costs $1750 in the Meander Valley, $1910 in the Northern Midlands and $1820 in West Tamar.
