THE NSW government is racing to find land for a new Sydney cemetery after an audit of the city's burial space revealed there are only 300,000 plots available, and they will be filled within the next 34 years.
The findings are contained in a new cemetery capacity report, released by the government on Friday, which laid bare the urgent need to find a solution to the looming shortage crisis.
The report found Sydney's cemeteries would likely be full by 2051, should current cremation and burial rates continue, while widespread unavailability of graves is expected by 2036.
The situation is more critical in Sydney's north and south regions, where graves may become unavailable as soon as 2026, partly due to the pre-purchase of plots.
Prompted by the findings, Lands Minister Paul Toole announced on Friday the government had commissioned an independent review to identify suitable locations for a future cemetery by early next year.
"It's important that the government plans for the future to keep the option of burial affordable for generations to come. Equally important is the need to consult with the community," Mr Toole said on Friday.
Dr Stepan Kerkyasharian, chair of Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW, said there was increasing awareness that cemetery space was "fast running out" and described the situation as "urgent".
"The report identifies that urgent action is required to provide for the future cemetery needs of the metropolitan Sydney community," he said in written remarks accompanying the report.
Most Sydney cemeteries have been in operation for at least 50 years and no new major cemetery developments have been built since the 1960s.
Sydney needs around 355,000 grave plots between now and 2056, during which time over 1.5 million people are projected to require burial or cremation.
The report found that by 2046, available burial space would be "very concentrated by location and operator, with the majority of the Sydney population lacking proximate access to burial space."
Some cultural and religious communities, particularly those which do not permit cremation, are already facing imminent shortages.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said the Jewish community would run out of new burial space in four to six years.
"What clearly needs to happen is that a block of land needs to be made available for a multi-faith cemetery," he said.
"The concern also is that the development time from acquisition of a parcel of land to it becoming publicly usable for burials is approximately six years, so we are now at the juncture where the window is fast closing."
The independent review reflects the government's desire to find a solution through an arm's-length process, following a politically-charged campaign which scuppered a cemetery proposal in western Sydney.
In October, Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust was forced to abandon plans to purchase the heritage-listed Fernhill Estate, near Mulgoa on Sydney's western fringe, as part of a controversial proposal to convert the 383-hectare property into a cemetery.
The plan failed to secure ministerial approval after it was fiercely opposed by cabinet ministers Tanya Davies and Stuart Ayres, who successfully lobbied the government to kill off the proposal.
It is understood planning minister Anthony Roberts is now considering a proposal to use government funds to purchase the $30 million estate, but any decision will require cabinet approval.
A separate cemetery proposal in western Sydney is proceeding, however, after the government approved the purchase of Wallacia Golf Course by Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust in August for conversion into a cemetery.
