FAMILIES are likely to be permitted to farewell loved ones surrounded by the natural beauty of Orange's Botanic Gardens after a proposal to hold funerals at the venue was backed by the community.
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Through a YourSay Orange survey, residents overwhelmingly supported the return of funerals to the Gardens with 75 per cent of respondents in favour of a motion initially put forward by Deputy Mayor Gerald Power.
The recommendation to be voted on at Tuesday's Orange City Council meeting is for council to allow funerals, with coffins and hearses, to be conducted on the lawn area of the Native Gardens Display at the Botanic Gardens or within its Clover Hill Function Centre.
Both are easily accessible for a hearse. The recommendation also mandates appropriate signage warning other gardens users a funeral is in progress, and a fee of $300 plus GST be charged.
Cr Power put forward his original motion after meeting with the Reid family, who were denied permission to hold a family member's funeral at the Botanic Gardens but were angered when, week's later, permission was granted for former Councillor Glenn Taylor's service to go ahead at the same location.
Council staff explained Mr Taylor's funeral at the Gardens was given the go-ahead as recognition of his 26 year's service in local government.
Jamahl Reid said he was glad common sense would prevail and thanked Cr Power for reaching out to his family.
"It was always going to happen to some poor family and I'm glad they've come up with a common sense decision," Mr Reid said.
"It's too late for us but at least there was a positive outcome."
The YourSay Orange survey page attracted 825 visits for the funeral issue with 75.1 per cent of the respondents in favour of funerals returning. Similarly, 75 per cent supported funerals only being staged on weekdays, which also forms part of the recommendation.
The question of staging just one funeral a day drew a more even response with 44.2 per cent suggesting more than one could be held.
Almost 80 per cent agreed signs should be in place and there were a number of comments concerned about the appearance of coffins, despite the survey indicating an overall acceptance.
Two respondents commented on the sight of a coffin being distressing for young children utilizing the gardens.
"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," was one comment against the proposal.
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
