Page 4226 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019
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Mr Wall: There was no call for a supp, either.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members! Mr Gupta has the floor.
MR GUPTA: Minister, how is the government working to ensure that all Canberrans have access to appropriate end of life facilities?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Gupta for his question. We know that death is a sensitive topic. It is only fair that all Canberrans are able to lay their loved ones to rest in a respectful way, giving them their last rights in keeping with those people’s wishes and beliefs. Our government is committed to building an inclusive and welcoming city.
Two weeks ago I was very pleased to join with Mr Gupta and board members from the ACT Public Cemeteries Authority to announce our government’s intention to build a publicly-owned and operated crematorium in the ACT. During recent consultations on cemeteries and crematoria in the ACT, we heard from many Canberrans that their needs were not being met currently and that a public option should be provided by the government to help meet these needs.
At present, the ACT is the only jurisdiction, state or territory, that does not have a publicly-owned crematorium. We only have a single privately-owned crematorium that serves a population of approximately 425,000 people. In comparison, New South Wales has one crematorium per 155,000 people. This is despite 75 per cent of Canberrans opting to be cremated compared to 66 per cent of people in New South Wales.
Our government has been listening to community feedback. We have heard the stories of Canberrans who have struggled to put their loved ones to rest in a reasonable time frame and in line with their beliefs here in the ACT. We have also heard a very strong view from the community, which was unsolicited, that they wanted to see a publicly run crematorium. They are looking forward to construction progressing on a publicly run crematorium that will service all Canberrans.
MR GUPTA: Minister, how will the new crematorium benefit Canberrans from a multicultural background?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Gupta for his supplementary. Our government’s decision to build a public crematorium will benefit all Canberrans, but it will particularly benefit members of our multicultural communities. We heard during the consultation that we undertook that one in 10 Canberrans were not having their religious or cultural needs met with current cremation services in Canberra.
We particularly heard from the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities. People from those faiths have had to travel to Sydney in order to pay their respects, within a reasonable time frame and keeping within their beliefs, to a loved one who has died. In those faiths there is often a requirement for a close family member, often the eldest son, to “light” the funeral pyre or be involved in the starting of the cremation process. No-one should have to travel interstate to bury or cremate a loved one, which is precisely why this is such an important project.
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