Council recently completed a review of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw, which was adopted on 26 June 2025.

As part of the review, 10 changes were made including new aesthetic requirements of monuments.

• The aesthetic requirements for monuments introduced to the Bylaw as a result of the recent review included setting a maximum size for images or designs (240mm x 240mm), restricting inscriptions, imagery or designs to the front of monuments (to avoid overwhelming adjacent gravesites), and providing guidance as to what will be considered offensive and not accepted by Council.
• The rationale for the changes was to remove the risk of monuments being large and dominating or containing elements that are offensive to the wider public.

In August 2025, local stonemasons raised concerns about the new size limits for imagery and design.

Staff reviewed this feedback and consider that the Bylaw already provides sufficient controls on the overall size and design of monuments through other existing clauses. The size-limit clause is also inconsistent with the approach taken by most other councils and there is no historical evidence that large imagery and designs have caused issues.

For these reasons, Council is proposing to remove Clause 26.1(b) which would remove the limit on the size of imagery and designs on monuments.

For more detailed information, including the options considered and the limitations and benefits of each, refer to the report to Council on 12 March 2026.