Piddingtons funeral director Allan Piddington is mystified by Council’s decision to create the new grave sites for adventists.

Based on previous adventist burials, it would take 60 years to fill the new sites. 

That’s because there have been just 30 burials in the Seventh Day Adventist section over the past 42 years.

The new graves will also see adventists buried east to west, rather than their traditional north to south.

Mr Piddington says the money being spent on expanding the site for Seventh Day Adventists would have been put to better use creating new sites elsewhere and tidying up the lawn cemetery.

“Council contacted me about 12 months ago about the new site and I told them it was not required,” Mr Piddington said.

Money spent on creating the new graves could have been used to spruce up the cemetery’s columbarium, which stores urns containing the ashes of loved ones.

Armidale Dumaresq councillor Jenny Bailey raised the matter at a council meeting on Wednesday.

She later said the move was a waste of money and criticised officers for failing to consult the community.

“There’s a limited amount of space at the lawn cemetery and money should be spent on this area,” Cr Bailey said.

She placed a question on notice to officers to investigate the matter.

They will report back at the next council meeting.