Community
15 January, 2025
Clean-up for cemetery
SEVERAL residents have raised concerns at the current state of the Port Douglas cemetery.
A resident, who did not wish to be named, said that, in contrast, Mossman cemetery was being properly cared for, with the Port Douglas cemetery being overgrown with weeds.
Graham Pimlott, who lives adjacent to the area, walks past the cemetery regularly.
“I’ve recently noticed the decline in the cemetery’s condition, which is a great shame and not a good look for tourists who pass by the site,” he said.
“The memorial area is also in need of repair.”
Another resident said council officers and staff and the cemetery’s sexton were usually vigilant about the upkeep.
“I’m guessing it’s holidays and rain that have made things grow and on Monday all hands will be back to tidy up,” she said.
A council spokesman said the Port Douglas cemetery was thoroughly cleaned and maintained prior to the council’s shutdown period over Christmas and New Year.
“As a result, some natural regrowth has occurred during this time,” he said.
“(Last week), the DSC team leader inspected the site and has since arranged for the open spaces team to conduct a clean-up.
“This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of this week or early next week.
“To preserve the integrity of the cemetery, particularly its older headstones, (the) council uses weed killer around the headstones as part of its maintenance strategy.
“Using brush cutters in these areas poses a risk of damage, especially to fragile and historically significant headstones.
“A dead tree was removed from the cemetery boundary in November for safety reasons.”
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