Overhaul for Masterton cemetery

ENCROACHING: Trees push aside grave sites at Masterton Cemetery.

A determination to clean up Masterton Cemetery, particularly the Pioneer section, has resulted in an on-site meeting this week.

Three men have formed a group to see the work gets under way: Roger Hoar, Roddy McKenzie and Graeme Evans. They met with Masterton District Council chief executive Pim Borren, councillor Gary Caffell, Founders Society representatives and Trevor Martin, a family historian.

The group toured the pioneer section, assessing what had to be done, then went on to assess what needed to be done in the wider cemetery, especially looking at the problem of trees growing in plots.

Mr Hoar said it was agreed families with relatives buried anywhere in the cemetery should be encouraged to clean and tend graves.

He said if people wanted to form groups to do work in the cemetery, that too would be welcomed, but it would probably be necessary to have a co-ordinated, funded effort to complete the task.

" The next step could be setting up a public meeting or a walkabout of the cemetery similar to that Mr Caffell organised for Queen Elizabeth Park and the tree issue," he said.

Mr Hoar, who is a qualified stone mason, said compared to many other older cemeteries the pioneer section in Masterton "is not that badly off".

"Most graves can still be read and it is cleaning the graves that is most needed.

"Perhaps we need a fund for a three, four or even a five year programme," he said.

Mr Hoar said the tree problem was not as bad in the pioneer section as elsewhere in the cemetery, which was a problem largely in the district council's domain.

Among the problem trees are four kauri which he said are "beautiful specimens".

Mr Caffell, who leads the council's Parks and Open Spaces Task Group, said people had expressed their willingness to work in tandem with council to ensure the cemetery is cleaned up.

He said the pioneer section in particular had the potential to be a tourist attraction, as many of the graves had historic links.

Mr Martin confirmed he had joined the cemetery appraisal meeting in a private capacity.

"I have grandparents buried there and the grave has a tree growing in it. Our family is not the only one to have graves with that problem," he said.