Swan Hill Rural City Council
| POLICY TITLE | MEMORIALS POLICY |
|---|---|
| POLICY NUMBER | CPOL/INFRA519 |
| DATE ADOPTED | SEPTEMBER 2020 |
| DATE REVIEWED | DECEMBER 2021 |
| TO BE REVIEWED | DECEMBER 2025 |
| DOWNLOAD |
Purpose
Swan Hill Rural City Council (Council) recognises that members of the community may wish to use public open space (parks, reserves, streets, etc.) to plant tree memorials or purchase and install a park bench or seat as a memorial to their loved ones. Other memorials may be placed by Council to commemorate an event or for the official opening of a completed Council project.
This policy has been established to provide consistency and control in relation to the use of public open space in the placement of memorials and to ensure they do not negatively impact these spaces.
Applications will be assessed strictly applying the criteria set out in this policy and the procedure.
Scope
This policy applies to assessing applications received by Council related to the placement of roadside memorials, memorial trees or the placement of memorial plaques on seating in all public roads, parks, reserves, public open space and streetscapes.
Definitions
| Applicant/Donor | A person or group who proposes the installation of a memorial. |
| Council | Indicates reference to Swan Hill Rural City Council as a geographical area and also refers to the entity which has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Swan Hill Municipal community. |
| Immediate family | For the purpose of this policy, “immediate family” refers to spouse/partner, parents, siblings and all children of the deceased. |
| Memorial | Park furniture or tree designed to preserve the memory of a person or group. |
| Public Open Space | Land that is available to the public for recreation, sport or has a conservation or aesthetic purpose. Open space includes reserves, parks, trains, sportsgrounds, civic area and play spaces. |
| Road | Road is defined in Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1989. The term ‘road’ includes but us not limited to a right of way, street or footpath. |
Policy
This policy applies to people and groups wishing to place a plaque or memorial within the Swan Hill Municipality as well as Councillors and staff who will decide on the applications.
Council is committed to providing a clear and compassionate approach to requests for permission to place memorial on public land whether they are permanent or temporary.
In the instance of existing memorials, installed prior to the date of this policy, which subsequently require removal, every effort will be made to contact next of kin prior to such a removal. Replacement will not occur if no contact can be made with the initial donor.
Related Policies
- CPOL/INFRA520 Asset Disposal Policy and Procedure
- PRO/INFRA519 Memorial Procedure (pdf 214kb)
- POL/INFRA500 Asset Naming Policy
Related Legislation
NIL
Signed: Cr Jade Benham (Mayor)
Date: 04/01/2022