Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Remembrance Parks Central Victoria

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:30): (1257) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action that I seek is for the minister to appoint a new chairperson for the board of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria. The current chair of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria was appointed in September 2020, and since that time the board has lurched from scandal to scandal, demonstrated financial incompetence and failed to meet the legislated reporting requirements for a government board. The pattern of neglecting fiduciary and financial responsibilities demonstrates a need for the chair to be replaced. The most recent failure of this board proposes large increases to the cost of a plot and burial. The board used the cover of the Melbourne Cup to announce the review on cup eve, which also coincided with the Allan Labor government’s announcement of a massive increase to probate fees. The cost of a plot will increase by 14 per cent or 15 per cent, typically going up by around $345, and the cost of digging the grave will increase in some places by up to 21 per cent, or around $530. It is irresponsible to suddenly add almost a thousand dollars to the cost of burying a loved one. Such a dramatic increase is completely out of step with community expectations.

Remembrance Parks Central Victoria wants to implement these big fee increases because it has been financially irresponsible for several years. In 2021–22 RPCV declared an operating deficit of $390,000. The annual reports for 2022–23 and 2023–24 have not been released yet, but I understand that both years resulted in an operating deficit in the hundreds of thousands of dollars – and in one of those years the deficit got close to $1 million. This is evidence of a pattern of financial irresponsibility, which the board is now trying to compensate for by making large and dramatic increases to their fees and charges, and it has chosen the worst time to do it, when Victoria is in a cost-of-living crisis.

In the last few years each year has begun with a controversial incident involving RPCV. In 2022 RPCV attempted to implement an exorbitant increase in the cost of burials; then in 2023 came the adornment scandal when RPCV removed cherished family mementos and memorials from graves without permission or warning, causing unimaginable pain to grieving families. Then later in 2023 came the scandalous change to the style of headstones at Pine Lodge Cemetery, again without any public consultation. The start of 2024 saw two controversial incidents in which graves were recklessly disturbed by maintenance crews. Amidst these scandals and controversies, proper and transparent governance at RPCV was completely neglected. Annual meetings were not held, or held many months late. Annual reports have not been published as they are required to be, and we still have not seen last year’s 2022–23 report, let alone this year’s, which means last year’s AGM has not even been held.

The chair’s term expires on 28 February 2025, and sadly I believe she has applied to be reappointed. With a track record of governance and financial failures during her tenure, the government should not reappoint her.