A PIONEERING project for a natural burial ground has supporters digging deep to ensure a new site is located in Armidale.
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‘Earth funerals’ will offer people the opportunity to be buried on the site in a biodegradable coffin or shroud and without being treated by preserving chemicals such as embalming fluids.
Banded Bee Farm owner Jane Pickard has put her hand up to offer two of 16 hectares of her property to be the site for the burial ground.
The permaculturalist said a bush burial offered people a positive sustainable impact even after death by being ‘recycled’ into the land.
“For me the idea that we make bodies toxic and then put them somewhere that will never grow anything is completely ridiculous,” Ms Pickard said.
“And they are structuring the project so they can re-vegetate land and I need my farm re-vegetated so it works very well for me.”
New England-based sustainability organisation Starfish Initiatives has signed on to the development with executive director Adam Blakester confirming the project was currently undergoing feasibility assessments including soil testing and hydro-geological studies.
“There are two major parts of this project,” Mr Blakester said.
“The first aspect is the development application for the burial ground for landholders as well as preliminary meetings with Uralla Shire Council.
“The other part is the financial side and determining whether we can raise enough money to start up the funeral service.”
Natural burial grounds have been growing across the globe with sites established in the UK and across the country. “This is part of a growing trend around the world, particularly in metropolitan areas where they have run out of room,” Mr Blakester said.
“We are losing money trying to maintain traditional cemeteries because they are costing more than they earn, so government’s are under pressure.”
“And it also gives people an opportunity to choose a natural burial which involves planting out large landscapes of trees which in turn become protected areas.
“It’s our view that there is no safer tree that is planted as part of an natural burial.”
“The feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.” Graves in the bush burial ground would be identified by a simple marker with no headstones.
