A proposal to expand Launceston’s Carr Villa Memorial Park by clearing rare bushland has sparked opposition from environmental groups and local residents in Launceston.
The City of Launceston’s draft 100-year masterplan proposes clearing about eight hectares of remnant bushland to create space for nearly 4,000 new burial sites as the cemetery approaches capacity.
The proposal includes eco-friendly burials in forest clearings while retaining some existing trees and maintaining a buffer zone next to the six-hectare designated flora reserve.
The bushland is classified as Eucalyptus amygdalina forest and woodland on Cainozoic deposits, a recognised threatened native vegetation community.
It houses 188 native species, including 30 types of native orchid, some extremely rare like the broadlip bird orchid, only found in three locations across Tasmania.
Volunteer group Friends of Trevallyn Reserve say the City of Launceston need to look at alternatives to Carr Villa.
“They have other land, already cleared, and should look at the suitability of such an alternative site”.
A 2019 report warned that biodiversity within the reserve depends on the fate of surrounding bushland due to edge effects when forests are fragmented.
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said Carr Villa is one of the most important public facilities managed by the Council.
“Carr Villa Memorial Park has served our community for over a century, and the draft masterplan is about ensuring it remains a place of peace, reflection, and connection for generations to come,” Garwood said.
Public consultation on the draft masterplan closes on Monday, April 28.
