Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Bring out your dead - but not next to us ...

By <b>CHERIE TAYLOR</b>
Rotorua Daily Post·
21 Feb, 2007 02:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article


When Bruce Chapman purchased land in a quiet rural setting not far from Rotorua, he did not envisage being surrounded by death.

The Horohoro man is one of several locals angry the Rotorua District Council has bought 41 hectares below the Horohoro Bluffs in Apirana Rd, about 17km
from Rotorua, for a cemetery - without telling ratepayers.

About 500 people die in Rotorua each year, and the city is expected to need a new cemetery within eight years.

The council says the public will get to have its say when resource consent is sought for the cemetery. Horohoro residents are already gearing up to fight the plans.

They say they have a landfill and dog pound nearby and will accept the addition of a youth prison near the landfill - but they don't want a cemetery.

Horohoro residents are worried about visitor traffic to the cemetery and local springs being contaminated by water tainted by bodies.

Mr Chapman said he was not keen to have the "pristine" view from his Apirana Rd property ruined by headstones.

"I'd have never moved here had I known a cemetery was going to be my neighbour."

"In winter you just about have to get your boat and oars and row across the paddocks. It's like a river. There is a risk of pollution to water."

Council's parks and recreation manager Garry Page said the Sala St cemetery was full with only a few pre-sold, children's and RSA plots still available.

It was estimated that within seven or eight years Kauae Cemetery would also be full.

There was still a long way to go before the Horohoro cemetery was finalised.

"It will be at least another seven to 10 years down the track before anything will be done.

"We have to apply and get resource consent yet and then we will consult the community."

The council previously considered a site at Tihi-O-Tonga, used by the pony club, and extending Kauae Cemetery. Both options have since been ruled out although Mr Page would not reveal why.

"There wasn't another site available to us".

Local Maori were outraged at "the council's affront" to spiritual values associated with the Horohoro mountain and water flowing from it.

Kaumatua John Edwards said there was a lot of pre-European history at Horohoro. There were more suitable places closer to Rotorua, such as Kaharoa.

Rotorua district councillor Glenys Searancke believes the council should have consulted before buying the land, which she says is too far out of town.

She agreed Kaharoa might be a better choice.

"It doesn't make much sense to throw everything on [the Horohoro] community when they have been so tolerant."

Kaharoa Prison Action Group spokesman Don Hammond indicated a cemetery would be more appropriate in the rural area than the youth prison originally proposed for Kaharoa.
What do you think? Email: editor@dailypost.co.nz Text: 0212243091 Write to: The Editor, The Daily Post, PO Box 1442, Rotorua

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Sport

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Whakarewarewa dominated Te Puna with a 57-10 win in Rotorua.

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM
'Horrible': Memorial for deaf, blind man killed in alleged hit-and-run is destroyed

'Horrible': Memorial for deaf, blind man killed in alleged hit-and-run is destroyed

08 Jul 10:50 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP