Council
15 June, 2026
Council to consider cemetery submission
Wollondilly Shire Council will meet on Tuesday (June 16) to consider a submission on the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park.
Wollondilly Shire Council will meet on Tuesday (June 16) to consider a submission on the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park.
The submission – prepared by council staff – reaffirms council’s opposition to the controversial proposal based on a number of concerns including impacts on traffic, amenity and the environment.
As previously reported by The Southern Wire, a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) has been lodged with the NSW Government for a cemetery at 430-490 Douglas Park Drive.
A report prepared for Tuesday night’s meeting says council staff have undertaken an extensive review of the SSDA exhibition material and have identified “significant issues” with the cemetery proposal.
It says many of the issues identified by council staff have also been identified by residents.
A large portion of the draft submission relates to traffic impacts.
It says the Transport and Accessibility Statement Impact lodged with the SSDA is founded on unrealistic traffic distribution assumptions and fails to adequately assess the operational, geotechnical and strategic importance of Douglas Park Gorge.
The submission also says the applicant has failed to demonstrate “avoidance of biodiversity impacts” in accordance with the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Biodiversity Assessment Method.
It says there needs to be a revised assessment that considers ecological impacts.
The submission raises concerns around groundwater and stormwater impacts and says the developer would have to remove up to 1.85 metres of medium to very high-strength sandstone bedrock across multiple hectares.
It says 30 to 40 tonne heavy excavators equipped with hydraulic rock hammers, ripping tines or rotary saws would be needed to remove an estimated 22,000 cubic metres of sandstone.
The submission also raises a number of concerns relating to environmental health, including the impact on air quality from a crematorium being proposed as part of Stage 2 of the development.
It also captures feedback from the June 3 drop-in session at Douglas Park Community Hall organised by council staff to ensure council’s submission reflected community sentiment on the cemetery proposal.
Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan is also strongly opposed to the cemetery and used a recent Member’s Statement to call for a public hearing on the proposal.
She said the NSW Government should be looking at the needs of the living before it starts looking at the needs of the dead.
Tuesday’s extraordinary meeting will commence at 3 pm in the Council and will be livestreamed for those people unable to attend in person.
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