Councillor wants council to bill the State for cemetery levy

A move by Cowra Shire councillor Peter Wright to recoup a levy the state government is about to impose on ratepayers fell on deaf ears at the council’s final meeting of 2024. The levy will see families who wish to bury a loved one in a Cowra cemetery charged a further $63 for each ash interment performed and a further $156 for each burial performed. Cowra Council operates the Cowra, Woodstock, Morongla and Gooloogong. The NSW State Government expects Cowra Council to impose the levy and send the proceeds to Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW. Only newly elected councillor Karen Cave, supported a motion from councillor Wright to impose an administration cost for collecting the levy. “Council’s management team should work out what it costs to administer this levy,” Cr Peter Wright said at council’s December meeting. “When we have to send the money in at the end of the year we should send them a bill for administration costs. “And from the figures I’ve seen I think it would be double the cost,” Cr Wright said. “It’s pretty simple, if they’re going to shift costs onto us. People are going to look at the bill, and think we’re charging it and we have to administer it, collect it and send them a cheque we should charge for the service. “It’s nothing different to what they are doing to us. “(Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW) has all the information in front of them to send individual bills to each family that has lost a beloved person and could get the money back. Passing it on to councils is just passing the buck. “It’s time we charged for the extra work we have to do to comply with a levy from the state government,” Cr Wrigth said. Cowra Council and other councils throughout the state have made representations regarding the levy however council has had to budget for the charge it in its Revenue Policy. “We’re hoping this will be thrown out,” Cr Ruth Fagan said. “We need to make a fuss, it is terrible cost shifting by the NSW Government,” she said.