Plea for Pacific Island families to keep graves clear

Cemetery manager Alison Sutherland says too much decoration makes routine maintenance difficult. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Pacific Island people are being asked to clear graves of excessive floral wreaths and other decorations so the grounds of the Manukau Memorial Gardens can be properly maintained.

Allison Sutherland, the cemetery's manager customer services, said the burial plots were in some cases covered by large mounds of dirt or sand as in the Pacific islands, making it difficult to maintain the 42ha cemetery - especially mowing between the rows of graves.

Ms Sutherland said there was an area set aside where for an extra $600 people could develop a full burial plot in the traditional Pacific manner.

"They keep those beautifully. Pacific people really love their graves."

However, many families tending graves in the restricted areas of the cemetery were doing likewise and that was causing the grounds people headaches.

Body-length areas of the grass between the berms were being covered with items such as flowers, solar lights, bricks, cloth, Christmas decorations and pots.

This was allowed for about the first month after a burial, but the families signed a maintenance agreement saying after that the decorations would be limited to the berms only.

The council was now asking for the extra material to be removed, and would start its own clean-up campaign from Monday.

It was an ongoing problem and when such paraphernalia was removed by the council it was often put back by the families who did not appear to understand.

It had a detrimental effect on nearby compliant graves because of the maintenance problems.

Ms Sutherland said it was the time of year for the grounds to have fresh topsoil applied where necessary, and to be seeded or mowed.

"We need to get into our summer programme."

There had been other problems with vandalism in the cemetery with youths smashing headstones.

There was also a young gang who had last year created problems by coming into the cemetery with beers to "party with the boys".

Pacific Island people at the cemetery told the Herald they were not worried about the council's stand.

Lynette Tuia said some families went too far with the grave decorations.

"It's got bigger and bigger."

Loimata Moyer, whose mother-in-law was buried there, agreed people were putting too many things over the graves to the point where you could no longer see the photographs of the deceased.

In other cases items were left there too long and started to look shabby, she said.