Although no complaints had yet been received, Cabonne mayor Ian Gosper asked residents to be patient with the shire’s 11 cemeteries.

“The ground is so saturated and waterlogged at the moment that it is very difficult to get mowers and other plant on to the areas required and this is making it difficult to present our cemeteries in their best condition,” he said.

Cr Gosper said the prolonged wet period meant there would be a very heavy mowing schedule for the remainder of the spring and summer.

“As you can imagine, grass growth will be prolific,” he said.

Cr Gosper also warned a certain amount of subsidence could occur at some cemeteries as the ground dried out and appealed to the community to notify the council as soon as possible if they noticed any subsidence so repairs could be coordinated.

He also urged people visiting cemeteries not to drive off the internal roads or they could become bogged and damage the grounds.

“We don’t want to see people’s vehicles becoming stuck,” he said.

“Our cemeteries have a special place in our hearts. I know most residents treat them with the utmost respect and I am certain people will continue to do so.

“Please abide by any traffic signs in cemeteries, particularly road closed signs.”

With flooding and subsidence a past occurrence at Orange Cemetery, Orange City Council spokesman Nick Redmond said staff had been doing a fantastic job in difficult conditions.

“While the push-mowers can get into some areas of cemetery, it’s not been possible to use the larger mowers because of the amount of rain that’s fallen,” he said.

“We’re asking residents to be patient with the length of the grass in some areas until there’s a break in the weather.”

He said staff would keep a close eye out for any signs of subsidence and maintenance work would be conducted as needed, echoing Cr Gosper’s calls for reporting.  

“As usual, family members should take care when walking on uneven ground,” he said.

“The staff at the Orange cemetery aim at preserving the beauty of the area, to give the families of deceased people a respectful place to grieve and remember their loved ones.”

Orange Airport has smashed its September rainfall record, with 271.8 millimetres falling during the past month.

Temperatures have been steadier, with the average minimum 1.1 degrees above the long-term average and the maximum 2.4 degrees below the long-term average.