Council
20 June, 2026
No surprise: Council holds firm ‘nonsensical’ on cemetery proposal
It was practically a foregone conclusion but Wollondilly Shire Council has moved to formally oppose the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park.
It was practically a foregone conclusion but Wollondilly Shire Council has moved to formally oppose the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park.
Council resolved at an extraordinary meeting on June 16 to lodge a submission formally opposing the State Significant Development (SSD) proposal.
Mayor Matt Gould has been given delegated authority to endorse a staff submission with some ‘tweaks’ reflecting late councillor and community feedback.
As part of its resolution, council will also call on the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully to direct that a public hearing be held in relation to the proposal “in recognition of the community interest and council’s objection”.
Mayor Matt Gould fears if the project goes ahead, council could be forced to close Douglas Park Gorge.
“That’s not on,” he said.
He said the impact of increased traffic on the – already restricted to a single lane – was simply ‘unworkable’ and council would be left with little option but to close it.
“This is the wrong place for this development,” Cr Gould said.
“Council has had a very clear position on opposing this for a very long time.
“The more I read through the submission, the more I have been concerned.
“I think the staff have done a spectacular job capturing the main concerns.
“In particular I think the traffic assessment is highly questionable and a lot of the assumptions that flow from that flow through a whole bunch of other things”.
He said there were also “significant environmental questions” that remained unanswered.
“Our community shouldn’t have to bear the burden of all of this for something that’s not going to benefit them in any meaningful way.
“The community has been clear that they don’t want this,” Cr Gould said.
“There is a mountain of planning issues, the traffic data (in the application) is terrible and it will have a horrible impact on the Gorge.
“This just doesn’t make sense.
“The community shouldn’t have to bear all the risks whilst the benefits are going to flow elsewhere.”
Cr Suzy Branstater thanked staff for the amount of time that had been spent reviewing the ‘complex’ application and preparing the submission.
She also thanked those residents of Douglas Park and surrounds who had taken the time to review the proposal and provide “thoughtful and well-considered” feedback.
“Their concerns have not been emotional reactions,” Cr Brandstater said.
“They have raised genuine questions about traffic safety, environmental impacts, infrastructure capacity and long-term suitability of the site.
“For me, one of the most important considerations is the impact on people who live closest to the development.
“The immediate community will bear the greatest burden of increased traffic, funeral processions, construction issues which will be enormous, noise and on-going pressure on the already constrained road network.”
She fears traffic modelling has failed to take into account future growth.
“This submission does not argue against the need for additional burial space but it questions whether Douglas Park is the appropriate location for a development of this scale,” Cr Brandstater said.
“The residents who would live with the consequences of this proposal deserve the confidence that their concerns have been thoroughly assessed and properly addressed.
“At this stage I don’t think we can be confident that this cemetery is definitely suitable for us,” Cr Brandstater said.
“There are so many things wrong with it.”
Cr Paul Roger commended Douglas Park residents on their efforts and described their feedback as ‘vital’ in terms of council’s submission.
“We have always been against this,” Cr Rogers said of the cemetery proposal.
“It has clearly never been on our radar.
“I don’t believe this is the correct spot and I think everyone else is in the same boat.
“I look forward to hearing it has been rejected – like any reasonable person would do.
“Hopefully we will have a good day when we hear it is not going ahead.”
Cr Jacqueline Jensen said she recognised the need for additional cemetery space across the region but is not convinced that the concerns of councillors, council staff and the community have been addressed.
She said the traffic assessment had failed to take into consideration future residential growth “nor has it sufficiently addressed the reliability and safety of access during periods of disruption or emergency such as bushfire”.
Cr Jensen said residents had genuine concerns about the long-term impacts of the proposed cemetery on local roads, traffic congestion, environmental values and the rural character of Douglas Park and acknowledged their efforts over many years “to ensure community concerns are heard”.
Cr Ally Dench said opposition to the cemetery proposal was not a NIMBY (No In My Back Yard) issue.
“We need places to put our dearly departed but at the same time it needs to be put in an appropriate pace – not in a place that is going to the impact on the local community as far as safety issues go.
“We don’t want to be burying more people”.
“It’s not a NIMBY issue – it’s definitely a planning issue,” Cr Dench said.
Deputy mayor Matthew Deeth acknowledged the “tireless energy” of residents in fighting a proposal that was “just wrong”.
“I feel your frustration and I certainly understand the exhaustion you all feel having to fight this fight – and continue to fight this fight.”
Cr Deeth said the proposed cemetery site was “clearly wrong”.
“We have plenty of space in Wollondilly and plenty of opportunities to expand existing cemeteries and to look at new cemeteries in right locations.”
Cr Deeth said it was “sheer stupidity” that the system was geared in such a way that the developer could continue to push a development that was “just wrong for this area”.
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