Fresh Flowers Only policy upsets

By Liz Brooker
news@longreachleader.com.au

THE proposed banning of plastic flowers by the Longreach Shire Council may force Nola Brown to stop tending the graves of dear friends, if the planned council guidelines become legislation.

After council passed their Proposed Fresh Flowers Policy at last month’s meeting, they now seek public comment on their draft guidelines which seek to "maintain the cemetery in an attractive and dignified condition".

As published in the Shire Briefs column in last Friday’s The Longreach Leader, changes will mean the removal of unapproved articles on graves to include artificial flowers, statues, trinkets, glass and ceramic vases.

Permitted items are to be reduced to a limit of one council issued vase per grave, containing only fresh flowers.

The proposal also goes onto say that "any unapproved item will be removed by Council staff during routine maintenance operations".

Last October when plans to change cemetery guidelines were first mooted Mrs Brown contacted The Longreach Leader sending a letter-to-the-editor in protest.

Judging by the sheer number of graveside visitors using plastic flowers, she will not be alone in commenting on the proposal.

A visit to the site last Thursday revealed fake blooms are not just a preference of a few devoted caretakers; they are the norm.

Of the 339 floral tributes laid in the garden cemetery at the moment, 83 per cent were artificial.
Three percent were dried and a mere five percent of posies were fresh - with the 30 bunches of dead flowers far out weighing the 16 live ones.

One of the newer gravesites was completely covered in a plastic floral tribute, spreading over a two by five foot area which includes solar night lights.

Along with flowers, some of the more unusual trinkets to be found included a The Sportsman newspaper, an ANZAC wreath and a bottle of beer.

Mrs Brown said a possible fake flower ban will see her having to think twice about making pilgrimages to the cemetery.

"I just like to have a bunch of flowers, a little something there so they know I am thinking of them, it always soothes me to do that."

"I go down there three times-a-year, but if they change the rules it is going to become much too inconvenient.
"I can understand why the council would be considering it.
"Some people do go over the top, but if they are going to make me do fresh flowers, I am going to wash my hands of it."

Mrs Brown said the fact fresh blooms would die within hours in high summer, the display of florists’ arrangements would often be wasteful.

"I hope people will take the time to write in to the council."

Until recently, Longreach Shire mayor Pat Tanks was unaware of the high numbers of people using fake flowers and is calling on the community to make their true feelings known by sending in their submissions.

"I think the main reason (for the proposed changes) stems from trying to keep the cemetery in a tidy condition.

"Nothing has been done as yet but we want to get it right.
"The gardener has had problems with a lot of the plastic flowers when he is mowing.
"But at the end of the day, if plastic flowers are what the majority of people want then we (council) will have to listen."

Submissions to the proposed changes should be in writing addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Longreach Shire Council and delivered to the Council Office or mailed to P.O. Box 472, Longreach before July 31.