Work on the much needed upgrading and landscaping the Wanaka Cemetery could commence in the Spring, pending approval from the Wanaka Community Board, Queenstown Lakes District Council parks manager Gordon Bailey said.

"The board has been working towards the completion of the plans, which will see an additional 3000 plots introduced at the cemetery to cater for the needs of the growing community over the next 50 years," Mr Bailey said.

The Wanaka Cemetery Trust will formally hand over the management of the cemetery to the Council at a meeting tonight (Thursday).

"The trust has done an outstanding job of managing the cemetery but are comfortable that it now be taken to a new level," Mr Bailey said.

Next week the board will be asked to approve the landscaping plans, and recommend to full Council that a new pricing structure be implemented. The Council will be asked to approve the new Cemeteries Bylaw 2005, as required under the Local Government Act, at the September full Council meeting.

"We have the same pricing structure for the other 11 cemeteries that the Council manages and unfortunately the Wanaka Cemetery prices will need to increase, not only to give it parity with the rest of the district, but to enable the upgrade to take place," Mr Bailey said.

The plot fee for Wanaka, which had remained unchanged since before 2001 was $200.

"That will now come into line with all plots, district-wide, the cost of which are $880. This in turn enables us to dedicate $47,000 to landscaping Wanaka Cemetery this year and a similar amount over the next couple of years to meet future demand," Mr Bailey said.

This would include seating, pathways, planting and toilets.

If you compared the cost to the rest of New Zealand, the fee was about average, he said.

For example it would cost you $993 for a plot in Dunedin, $453 for Invercargill and according to 2003 figures, $913 for Auckland and $1956 for North Shore.

ENDS

For further information please contact Gordon Bailey 027 442 3126.

By: Tamah